Overall Reflective Blog

I think this class was important because I learned things about software that I had no prior experience using.  The most helpful thing I learned was how to design a website.  I had always thought making a website was so mysterious and difficult but it turned out to be fairly intuitive once I gained experience using the software.

All of the projects we completed in ISTC 501 have relevance to teaching in the secondary level and they can all be incorporated in some way into effective lesson plans.  As I alluded to in my first blog post technology is becoming integrated into society at an exponential rate and, therefore, must be integrated into the classroom as well.  Making a mini-movie for students via moviemaker can raise students’ interest level in the lesson topic by incorporating emotive pictures, music, and other multimedia.  Making the movies can also help increase the teacher’s knowledge of the subject because he/she has to search documents, pictures, and videos on the subject.

When we researched the different learning theorists and software that associates with their learning theories I felt that it was an interesting activity.  I think that educational software should be designed according to solid learning theories to ensure students actually learn the material and do not just play games.  Learning software generally supports a constructivist model and is therefore in step with the most popular teaching model used today.

Going forward I would really like to build on and maintain a personal website.  I will also definitely incorporate mini-movies into my lessons.  Being a Social Sciences teacher it is important to engage students early in a lesson or they may drift off into daydream land.  I will make it my goal to use technology to boost student learning and understanding.

Weather Blog

Last summer while I was visiting the Dominican Republic my friend and I were traveling in a rental car to a vacation destination in a remote part of the island.  As we were traveling the weather began to change, the streets became flooded, and the wind was moving the little fiat all over the pothole infested roads.  There were intense lightning flashes, loud thunder crashes, and flying debris.  As it turned out we were driving through a tropical depression.  As I understand it a tropical depression is one step down from a hurricane.  We did eventually make it to our destination but it took all night to get there because there were no places to stop.

Web 2.0

The only Web 2.0 software that I can remember having experience with are facebook.com and wordpress.com.  I have had experience blogging using wordpress.com before for wnst.com a Baltimore based sports website and I have continued to blog for ISTC 501.  Blogging is an interesting way to reach people with content generated or gathered by myself and it allows me to interact with people in many different ways.  I can post comments on other blogs, receive comments on my blog, respond to my comments, rate people’s blogs, etc.  A blog is very customizable and therefore represents the author; however, if the poster wishes to remain anonymous that is also possible.  A blog can be used in a serious manner or in a very informal one.  Various types of multimedia can be featured on one blog as blogs can be extremely interactive.  Blogs can also feature polls and hit counters to display their popularity.

I have used facebook.com since I started college.  At the time my younger sister introduced me to it I was very skeptical.  I soon got the hang of it and I have been hooked ever since.  Facebook can be negative in some ways as keeping up with everyone’s status is an endless task.  The best part about facebook is the sharing of information, photos, etc that can be done in an instant.  It is an upgrade over software such as AIM that I experienced in my younger days because it is easier faster and combines email, instant messaging, file sharing, etc all in one package.  One could spend hours taking quizzes, talking with friends, and just about anything else on facebook.

The types of Web 2.0 software we examined today in class have a much more beneficial side as far as education is concerned.  It is amazing what technology can do for learning if utilized properly.  We examined the site wePapers.com which is supposed to be a place for people to share academic papers, form study groups, etc, but I think it may be a place used to plagiarize other’s work.  The internet can be used in both for good and bad intentions and as a teacher I have to model the proper use of these powerful tools.

Digital Storybook

This video is a digital storybook that gives an overview of Indian Removal and the Trail of Tears.

Reflecting on My Technobiography and the Use of Technology in the Classroom

My first experience with a new technology has always included some form of fun or gaming aspect.  Skills needed to utilize new technology are often more readily adapted and used by new learners when elements of exploration and fun are involved.  I believe that technology clearly has a place in today’s classroom; however, I don’t feel the focus of class should ever be solely on technology or its use (unless of course it is a computer or technology class).

There are certain requisite skills needed in virtually every subject that must be taught on a lesson-by-lesson basis before technological integration can occur.  For example, skills such as learning simple multiplication tables and how to proficiently perform math problems on paper must first be mastered before a calculator can be introduced.  If the student is taught these skills with a calculator or some other crutch they will not be able to, or know how to, do the problems without it.  After introducing something such as a calculator it would be wise to devise a game utilizing the calculator to further instruct students on the proper use of such a device.  Games can make learning enjoyable, easy, and fun.

In classrooms today there are numerous examples of misusing technology.  In many ways teachers who are uncomfortable with technology themselves feel the need to impose it on their students because of curricular mandates etc.  Without intelligibly guided instruction with new technology students can become lost, disinterested, frustrated or worse, and the crutch of technology could become a handicap for effective learning. 

It is imperative for teachers to remain familiar with technology and maintain a continuing learning program in order to stay on top of the technological advances in order to give their students a more rewarding and stimulating classroom experience.  Technology can stimulate the brain in ways traditional lecture could never achieve; however, technology can only enhance classroom learning.  Technology will never be able to replace excellent lesson planning etc.  Technology is an excellent source of enrichment as well.  When I was younger the use of technology often seemed like a reward when compared to other forms of learning because it allows one to personally manipulate information.  Technology has incredible potential for constructivist teachers as long as it is not used as a mere vehicle for transferring notes.

Review games can be played using technology whereby students chime in to teachers’ questions via remotes.  I experienced this in a physics class once and it seemed to increase student participation if for no other reason than the teacher could monitor how often students responded during class and count that toward participation.  This can also be beneficial for those students who are too shy to raise their hands in class because the answers are anonymous to the rest of the students.  Also teachers can represent answers given in a graphical form which can better help them to decide if the class understands certain key aspects of the lesson before going on to the next topic.

My experience with technology integration in the classroom.

I can think of many instances where technology was integrated into the classroom.  Technology can be something as commonplace as a calculator in a Math class, electronic measuring devices in a Chemistry class, a pitching machine in Physical Education class, a food processor in Consumer Sciences class, etc.  Many pieces of technology have been so integrated into the classroom that they are no longer even thought of as technology such as overhead projectors (yep, good ol’ Elmo himself).  I believe we can all agree on the need for technological integration in the classroom; however, agreeing on the proper use, format, dedicated time, etc of technological integration can at times be difficult.

 

In my high school there was not much technological integration in the classroom other than the commonplace and expected items.  The only computer projector that I can even remember was in the actual computer lab and its main purpose was to demonstrate certain details so that the instructor did not have to go to each student to perform the demonstration.  I could mention a multitude of instances where technology has been used improperly in classes I have attended, most of which centered on poorly designed PowerPoint presentations or a complete lack of technological integration.

 

I attended a using information effectively in the sciences class as an undergraduate several semesters ago with Dr. Feldman and I have to say the technology integration in each lesson was marvelous.  In the class we were taught how to perform proper internet searches for peer reviewed journal articles, as well as how to site source material from the internet using a computer projector.  Dr. Feldman also modeled excellent form on all of her PowerPoint presentations with proper grammar and spelling, precise numbers of words per page as well as proper font size to ensure visibility, masterful use of multimedia, and on and on… However the best part of the class was the fun computer simulations which were required.

 

Dr. Feldman separated us into groups and gave us a mystery fish to raise on a virtual fish farm.  The computer simulation was devised in such a way as to allow us to experiment with feeding cycles and other important clues in order to determine the identity of our mystery fish and have a successful growing season.  In order to maximize our virtual profit we had to use graphing programs such as Excel and other software to determine the identity of the fish and thus sell it at its highest price.  There were context clues given in the description of our task to help in the identification process but we had to perform our own research to determine the fish type in order to accurately map the development of the fish.  Certain fish require specific levels of oxygen in their water, feed rates and amounts, water depth, temperature, and other variables in order to maximize their growth and minimize their mortality rate.

 

In this instance we were required to integrate all kinds of technology as well as a great deal of background and prior knowledge.  The technology assisted us in our determinations and the class itself challenged us to think critically and creatively.  After the harvest we were required to compile a report for our virtual company’s top brass that included environmental impact statements, profit loss statements, etc as well as design and deliver a perfect PowerPoint presentation.  The class itself was very difficult because of the excessive workload but it was much more enjoyable with the integration of technology.  Technology when used properly can reduce the burden of large tasks and increase efficiency and effectiveness.  This class was entirely worthwhile because I learned a great deal about how to use technology in many different ways.  The integration of various forms of technology also made the class more approachable as it is sometimes more difficult to envision abstract ideas on paper than with the use of multimedia technology.

What instructional technology means to me.

To me instructional technology is some type of electronic device(s) that allows an instructor to design lessons that appeal to a variety of learning styles using audio, video, and other types of multimedia. Instructional technology allows instructors to design lesson plans that are more efficient and in most cases more effective. Instuctional technology can also be used as an assessment tool in things such as adaptive testing.

This was originally posted as a comment to my first blog as the warm-up exercise in class today.  I may have heard wrong and put it there on accident (if we were supposed to make a new post that is) but you can see that it was actually done in class when we were supposed to complete the activity.

Neal’s Technobiography

My first experience with technology occurred via the Nintendo Entertainment System in the early 1980’s and extended to most of the popular gaming consuls which have been developed since.  Of course that information is not relevant to an educational technology course; however, I also had a learning computer which could be played directly through the television.  It had spelling and math games, but like most early educational programs they were not very fun.  At least it was in the shape of a cartoon frog.

NES

When I started going to elementary school I was able to experience the wondrous world of the Apple IIe, dot matrix printers, and floppy discs.  I do not accurately remember what we did with the computers but I know we used them in an educational manner.  I will never be able to get the image of the blinking green cursor out of my mind, and I fondly remember tearing the sides off of the printed pages because it was a competition to see who could make the longest continuous piece.  I changed schools after the second grade because my family moved.  At my new school I didn’t experience computers again until the sixth grade.  The computers were better than the old Apples, or at least newer, but they were far from the top of the line for that time period and they were PCs with MS-DOS.  I remember that for enrichment we were allowed to play the Oregon Trail and Where in the World is Carmen San Diego games, of course it motivated most of the students to do well in the class.  This was also my first experience with CD-ROMs.

Apple IIe

Computers were not a large part of my middle school experience other than using them for recreational purposes at friends’ houses.  As I got to high school computers became a much more integral part of certain classrooms.  I learned how to officially type on a computer and use word processing software such as Office 95 in a business class in ninth grade. 

I had technology/shop classes throughout high school in which we actually taught the instructor (who was an older man) how to run the brand new CAD and CAM programs set up the computers etc.  In computer class I learned how to create presentations and effectively search the internet.  Our school at that time was purchasing new computers every two years or sooner it seemed.  All of the classes used PCs except the computer classes because the computer teacher preferred Macs.  The last version I can remember using was the G4 and since then I have for better or worse only been exposed to PCs.  I also took some computer courses in high school such as ASCII and C++ of which I remember very little, if anything.  I also used certain software in science classes that simulated experiments etc.  My family didn’t get our first computer until about 1998 and by then it was used mostly for the internet and the DVD-ROM.

Mac G4

In college I learned how to use Excel at a rudimentary level.  I have experience using a video camera for both personal and professional matters.  I have used a projector before although I merely turned it on and off.  I have experience with PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, and Internet Explorer.  I also have some knowledge on how to set up home audio/video systems.  I previously blogged for wnst.net as a sports writer and know how to use social networking sites such as facebook, blackboard etc.

I think technology is important especially in today’s rapidly advancing society.  Technology can facilitate and often improve classroom learning.  I am not a wizard of technology like many younger folks today but I can figure things out and am not afraid to do so.