Technology based rubrics seem to be very effective when they are given prior to actual due date. I currently have a problem with one instructor that gave me my presentation rubric already graded after I had already presented...I felt that it was useless to me at that point. I also was upset that the rubric had specific numbers for example: 0, 5 and 1o typed on the sheet and the instructor wrote in the number 9! Why have specific numbers to choose from if he was going to write in a number of his choice? I feel that rubrics should be concrete standards that are followed consistently by the instructor. In my future classroom I will provide a fair rubric prior to the due date and follow the rubric, unless it needs to be amended for the benefit of my students. The technology based rubrics for this class are a great example of what an effective rubric should look like.

     I love clicker assessments! We received a whole set of clickers for our promethean board at work and I have not had the opportunity to use them, but I hope I learn how to soon. I remember using them in my high school physics class. It was quite fun, even though some students always blurted out the answer. Clickers are fun and fast, teachers can instantly check the classes understanding in a couple of clicks. Clicker assessments would probably be something I would do after a read aloud, to assess their comprehension.

     I remember using Kidspiration and Inspiration during my public school days and we mainly used it for brainstorming and organizing. My science teachers would let us organize life cycles. The rain cycle was also a popular subject to use with Kidspiration. Later in high school we would organize our thesis and body paragraphs in english class with this software, before we finalized our papers.

Citation:

Jonassen, David, Howland, Jane, Marra, Rose, and Crismond, David. (2008). Meaningful Learning with Technology. 217-39. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall

Visualizing with Technologies

Digital Storytelling is an activity, which allows students to create and participate in their own original movie. Students will have designated roles such as actor, editor, director and videographer. Each role is highly important and requires each individual to work and learn cooperatively. There are three stages the preproduction stage, production stage and postproduction stage. In the first stage they will create their story using a template and discuss narration and screen directions. Students will research and plan their movie during this stage. In the production stage students will record and log their video. The last stage requires the students to edit their video. I like the concept of making a video for an English or reading class. I made one my senior year in high school and enjoyed it. I would hesitate to use this activity with early childhood, just because it does require a lot of cooperative learning at such a high level of thinking that might be difficult for them. I would maybe consider using it with fourth grade and up, considering they can handle the equipment and truly appreciate each others finished projects.

Students should be encouraged to use graphing calculators, while problem solving. Reports show that students using graphing calculators are more engaged and persistent. Graphing calculators can help them understand visually how problems work and how the end result will look. It also allows them to manipulate the data to create new solutions. Another tool for math class would be the Geometric Supposer. This tool allows students to manipulate angles, bisectors, points, parallels and perpendiculars. The computer will calculate most of the lengths, but students are able to see how much the numbers change each time they move segments around. Students can prove theories without having to critically think about the segment relationships, instead they visually see the relationships.

TV instruction is not new to me. I am currently enrolled in a TV class. I do believe that some individuals can learn through TV instruction as long as there are microphones that allow interaction with their peers and instructors. Personally I am drowning in my TV class, but I see some students that truly enjoy the change in environment. I am not one of those students, I prefer to make eye contact with my instructor and ask questions privately rather than publically on the microphone. 

Jonassen, David H. Meaningful Learning with Technology. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ:    
       Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008. Print.

Podcasts

            I learned from the podcasting video that podcasting can be done at any time or at any place. Podcasting helps people find topics that interest them and learn more about them by listening to others and their opinions. Students could learn from podcasts at their pace and at their discretion. Books and other resources do seem a bit bulky and noticeable and sometimes cause students to lose interest in them. Small technological devices are smaller and more discrete and more students are starting to prefer listen and reading off of their electronic devices. Podcasting allows for flexibility in times and locations. Students are no longer forced to learn sitting down or at certain times and locations.

            Podcasting is another form of communication that people use to connect socially and now educators are starting to use them to teach and connect to their students. Podcasting uses audio rather than just words to communicate a thought. Wikis are great resources for students that need to read more in depth about a topic. A podcast can be used to reinforce these same ideas. Blogging allows students to read, respond and link to other sites or maybe even podcasts. All of these web 2.0 applications are interlocked with one another. They can be linked together and used as resources for students that enjoy learning through different medians.

            I do own an ipod. I have not seen it in a while because my siblings enjoy using it. I actually won the ipod at my high school. I had failed a science benchmark by one point and worried about failing the TAKS science test. I went to tutoring for over a month and won the ipod…I also passed the science TAKS with a commended score :) Technology can be used as an incentive and as source of relief. Students like myself need many outlets and technology can definitely provide that. I have seen many teachers use their ipods to signal the start and ending of activities or to signal what their next instruction may be. I have also seen content mastery teachers using ipads to enforce their instruction. Technology is the new cool thing to do and teachers need to stay relevant to keep the attention of their students. These communication tools are great when available. Many students may not have access to such technology or the technology may cause students to lose their attention to other communication and networking sites that are not necessarily educational. Overall we still need teachers! Teachers help guide positive behavior and this includes guiding appropriate online communication behavior. The internet is a sea of dangers and educators must be attentive to their students on and offline.

Sources:

Jonassen, David, Howland, Jane, Marra, Rose, and Crismond, David. (2008). Meaningful Learning with   

       Technology. 217-39. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMgemQahuFM

Innovative Classrooms!

I would use blogs with my students to reinforce what we did that day or week. I could also post activities or websites that could help prepare students for our upcoming lessons. Students that lose their planners or have questions for me could just go to my blog and ask or read. Wikis may be a great source for math formulas or tricks that could help students with their homework.

Socialbookmarking seems like an organized way to share websites with others. It sounds like a great idea and does not seem too complicated. I wouldn’t mind trying out the application. My students would have the option to search websites that I have found useful. Well since many other countries have successfully incorporated voicethreads into their classrooms, I feel it appropriate that I try at least once. This is the innovative way to discuss topics with other individuals.

Tapped In seems like a great opportunity to stay innovative and connected. I have not explored it but from my reading I have learned that there are many benefits in participating with Tapped In. I understand how disconnected teachers can be from one another and promote the need to be technologically connected. People are more likely to communicate through technology now than ever before. If educators truly want their students to connect with other foreign students, then they should attempt to also learn from their foreign peers (Jonassen pg. 129).

 Source:

Source:Jonassen, David, Howland, Jane, Marra, Rose, and Crismond, David. (2008). Meaningful Learning with Technology. 217-39. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall

Assessing With Technology

     Each school year teachers should adjust and modify assessments for the students needs. Educators are attempting to create learner-centered classrooms rather than teacher-centered classrooms. Educators use assessment activities to discover and record how much students have learned or if they have captured the concept well enough to move forward. Each student will learn differently and show different results in their assessments. Educators must “formatively assess,” the results and make decisions about any changes to improve assessments (Jonassen pg. 219).

     An e-portfolio is an electronic portfolio filled with “digitized artifacts.” E-portfolios help teachers assess various types of learning styles. Teachers are no longer limited to paper and pencil assessments. It is important to assess students through medians that encourage success and proper outcomes (Jonassen pg. 220).

     I just began my e-portfolio experience and I feel that this form of assessment has a lot of potential. The presentation of the e-portfolio is completely up to the student, which allows for flexibility. Students sometimes feel limited in their studies and e-portfolios eliminate this feeling. I have detailed rubrics to follow and also room to interpret the assignments in my own way.


Source:Jonassen, David, Howland, Jane, Marra, Rose, and Crismond, David. (2008). Meaningful Learning with Technology. 217-39. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall

Week 5

      We must obey copyrights and fair rules because it is against the law to not follow these laws and it is also morally wrong to steal information. People should always ask investigate their materials before using them without the consent of the author. Many of these authors created these materials to sell and to make money and if their material is stolen they do not profit from it. Others work hard for their products and deserve to be repaid (Newsome). Students do not appreciate other students trying to cheat or steal from them, so we should try to be respectful of others hard work. I will teach my students that we should always know where are information is coming from and if it is legal for them to use.

       Online safety is how we protect ourselves from online predators. Students should use cyber names rather than their real names and they should never give out their personal information. Cyber bullying is when people interact virtually and put unkind terms or symbols that may offend or hurt others. Educators should check often to make sure that the blogs are civil and cooperative. Online predators are everywhere and students should be ready to dismiss any type of suspicious activity and report it to their teacher.

       There was a lot of reading for this week. Copyrights are important business and I learned that we can’t just claim ignorance of the law. There are large fines placed on people that break copyright laws and I think that it is important for us to be exposed to all the guidelines and laws. This weeks activities were informative about to abide by the copyright laws.

Citation:

Newsome, Cathy. "A Teacher's Guide to Fair Use and Copyright." 1997. Web. 19 Feb. 2011.    

       <http://home.earthlink.net/~cnew/research.htm#Teachers%20and%20Fair%20Use>.

ONLINE CLASSES

I love school, but online classes are a different kind of beast. It takes a special type of person to succeed and learn with technology. I hope I catch on quickly, because I do not wish to be left behind.