Blog #3

I learned a lot in this class.  It has given me a better understanding of both the technology that I currently use everyday, and a firm understanding of the type of technology that I will use in a classroom.  I feel that I gained a new understanding of how technology is used in the classroom.  Before this class I thought that I would be taking a class on how to teach students about technology.  I now understand that technology is a great tool to make the learning process better and more efficient.  

I am excited to implement the knowledge that I have learned in this class in the classroom.  I am also eager to continue my understanding of what type of technology can offer students a common thread that they are able to not only build an understanding of technology, but also to use technology in a way that helps them in the learning process.  

Final Project

For my curriculum integration project I will be developing a web quest geared to 9th-10th graders on the history of South Manitou Islands. This would be a part of a Michigan history class. I this exercise is to be fun and educational. It is a good representation on how a obscure topic, such as the manitou islands, can come to life with the internet, and students have access to learning tools that they would otherwise have to dig laboriously through the library stacks to attempt to find.

Bloging..............

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5912277&postID=194497818546770895&page=1

MacBride, R. & Luehmann, A.L. (2008) Capitalizing on Emerging Technologies: A Case Study of Classroom Blogging, School Science and Mathematics 108 no5, p.173-183.

 

 

    In the educational context, it is becoming increasingly imperative that we work to integrate the vast learning possibilities that the Internet has to offer.  While bringing the Internet into the classroom opens endless possibilities for learning it also creates many obstacles and many dangers.  However, when you not only engage students in an online setting, but also to utilize popular activities such as online social networking the student is able to flourish in this new age of technology.  This article examines one teacher's successful use of blogs in his classroom.

    

    From the finding in this article it is clear that when used properly, the use of blogs, or a frequently updated website with a series of archived posts, it can be a powerful tool for students in the classroom.  The article reported that Mr. K's 11th grade pre-calculus class benefited greatly from the use of blogs. The article found that it was also a excellent tool for engaging the students.  Mr. K set the blog up so that the students had creative control over much of the content.  With this freedom he created a sense of pride and ownership within the class and the students were able to contribute in constructive and positive ways.  It was a great tool not only for those looking for answers but also for those students answering the questions.  This continued a dialog of the subject matter that would have perhaps never been possible in a traditional setting.  At the time that this article was written, there were very few, under twenty, blogs being used in classrooms.  There was also limited studies done on the effective application of blogs in the classroom.

    

    The students were able to refer to the site in the event that they had confusion on a section or that they had missed class.  The students scanned images of their work along with their post and were able to view examples and others students work.  Mr. K set up activities such as challenge questions that the students would work on on the weekend.    

    

    One of the other great contributions that the blog brought to the class was that Mr. K opened to blog to the public.  This increased the students sense of pride and their sense of membership to the global community.  It also helped them to understand the power and importance of the Internet.  The downside of this was that it obviously created security issues for the students. 

     

    There are many concerns and myths associated with the Internet.  These issues range from personal and financial security to the loss of our social skills.  Some of these concerns are valid while other are steeped in anxiety and fear of change.  I am not sure that in all settings the blog that Mr. K used would have been as successful as it was in his class, however it is a great example of how in this scenario, technology was a great mobilizer and opened the learning process in a way not before possible.

  

Discussion Questions

      

I handed them to you.

 

     

blog post cell phones 6-17

http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2009/06/ideas-for-enhancing-teaching-and.html?showComment=1245286061035#c871590656375268223

june 16

1) From this class I hope to gain a better understanding of both the mechanics of computers and the internet, but also how to integrate technology into a classroom. I hope to fill in the blanks that I have in my computer skills. I keep on thinking of a way to describe my skill level and I keep coming back to my grandmother and driving. She drove a car for 75 years, but never took a driving class. I use the internet everyday, both for business and for recreation, yet I have never really been trained on it.

2) I have used computers the same as I imagine others in my/our generation have. I do not have any special skill or experience that I can say that I can bring to the table.

3)I will be doing what is required for a student in the GTC program. I do not have a clear understanding of what that is at this point.

4) I have yet to work in a classroom. After the first day of class today, I feel that this class will give me a much better understanding of the internet. I have a niece who is a senior in college. While I was in middle school when emailing and the like came to all of our houses, she runs circles around me with technology. I can only imagine that younger kids are faster. I know that keeping up with them will be crucial to effective teaching.

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