What?
When we traveled to Lake Washington High School we learned features of the active board. It was a good teaching tool because it allowed for us to see how teachers in the field are using the active board in the actual classrooms. It was important to see from my perspective different lesson plans and how the teacher used those lesson plans with her students.
So What?
I believe it the most important facet of this presentation was listening to the teacher explain the value the active boards have in the classrooms. I believe that in our technology class we are learning skills that will be essential in running our own classroom one day and this presentation confirmed that.
Now What?
It is time for us as future teachers to realize the importance of properly using this technology and using it in a way that will help learning and not hinder it. We must find the balance between technology as an aid and technology as a barrier.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Future of Education and Technology (Week 14)
Technology and Education: What will the future bring?
Technology is an ever growing tool that is at the disposal of future teachers. It is important that we as teachers realize that education can be improved significantly with the proper use of new technologies. "Educational research will undergo massive paradigm shifts we can only imagine. Because we live in a revolutionary time of astonishing advances in technologies, a world of constant and unrelenting change, new paradigms appear before the implications of their predecessors are digested. We know that schools must make changes to accommodate the technology revolution. Many are already making changes in curriculum, teaching, and learning." It is important that schools as well as teachers understand this shift in education. If we continue to somewhat "fight" technological advancements then we may hinder our students. Technology should not completely run the classroom but it should be an influential teaching piece. I believe that if as our generation takes over the classroom technology will be used with much more prevalence. "As David Thornburg reminds us, we are preparing children for their future, not our own past." I believe that's a significant quote because that is exactly what technology creates. It creates unlimited possibilities that we as people must accept and work with. If we fight technology we will hurt our students.
Technology is an ever growing tool that is at the disposal of future teachers. It is important that we as teachers realize that education can be improved significantly with the proper use of new technologies. "Educational research will undergo massive paradigm shifts we can only imagine. Because we live in a revolutionary time of astonishing advances in technologies, a world of constant and unrelenting change, new paradigms appear before the implications of their predecessors are digested. We know that schools must make changes to accommodate the technology revolution. Many are already making changes in curriculum, teaching, and learning." It is important that schools as well as teachers understand this shift in education. If we continue to somewhat "fight" technological advancements then we may hinder our students. Technology should not completely run the classroom but it should be an influential teaching piece. I believe that if as our generation takes over the classroom technology will be used with much more prevalence. "As David Thornburg reminds us, we are preparing children for their future, not our own past." I believe that's a significant quote because that is exactly what technology creates. It creates unlimited possibilities that we as people must accept and work with. If we fight technology we will hurt our students.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Word, Excel & PowerPoint (Week 13)
Word:
- Font, bullets and numbering, High lighter, tables and graphs, and alignment placing.
Excel:
- My use of excel comes few and far in between, the only reason I use excel is to set up worksheets with numbers and totals on worksheets.
PowerPoint:
- Slide themes, clip arts, copying pictures, bullets and numbering, video links, and font style and colors.
One project i could use with my students to help them learn word would be to do a scavenger hunt, i would give my students a worksheet they are to follow using many different features of word and i would have them follow the steps and complete the worksheet and then turn in the paper in which they completed the tasks on.
Another project i could use is for Excel and that would be a project that would again be like an introduction tool. It would help to teach the students how to put numbers in a tile square and then be able to add or subtract different cells from one another to get totals.
A project for PowerPoint would be easier, i would again assign the students an area in which they are suppose to learn and then create a slide or two using that feature and present it and teach that feature to the class and when they were done i would clean up and mistakes they may make during the teaching.
- Font, bullets and numbering, High lighter, tables and graphs, and alignment placing.
Excel:
- My use of excel comes few and far in between, the only reason I use excel is to set up worksheets with numbers and totals on worksheets.
PowerPoint:
- Slide themes, clip arts, copying pictures, bullets and numbering, video links, and font style and colors.
One project i could use with my students to help them learn word would be to do a scavenger hunt, i would give my students a worksheet they are to follow using many different features of word and i would have them follow the steps and complete the worksheet and then turn in the paper in which they completed the tasks on.
Another project i could use is for Excel and that would be a project that would again be like an introduction tool. It would help to teach the students how to put numbers in a tile square and then be able to add or subtract different cells from one another to get totals.
A project for PowerPoint would be easier, i would again assign the students an area in which they are suppose to learn and then create a slide or two using that feature and present it and teach that feature to the class and when they were done i would clean up and mistakes they may make during the teaching.
K12 Online Conference (Week 12)
Games in Education
Kicking it up a Notch
Games in Education
By: Sylvia Martinez
SUMMARY
This online conference was debating on whether the use of video games in the classroom are a helpful teaching method. Sylvia Martinez set out to tackle the questions surrounding video games in the classroom. Can video games be effective as learning experiences? Can video games replace worksheets as effective methods of teaching? Can learning content be as easy as inserting games into the curriculum? Or are games hindering the learning of students? Sylvia Martinez gives her take on both the positive and negative affects of video games in the classroom and how to properly substitute hard learning for the use of advanced technology.
REFLECTION
Sylvia Martinez says that there are two important factors that come into having effective game planning in the classroom: having adequate time to play and the role of the teacher as administrator and facilitator. These are important because unlike doing old fashioned worksheets that are easier to create a teacher must take adequate time out of there school day for their children to play these games. The games must also be created in a way that will allow students to learn there importance not just the fun of being able to play the games. It is also important that the teacher knows how to balance game play as well as helping the students understand the correlation between games and real life. Games must be fun, it is hard to create games that are fun as well as realistic. Video games are made to be unrealistic as well as false on historical facts in order to keep the kids entertained. Finding games that are true and fun are a hard combination. Sylvia Martinez does a good job of expressing the time commitment and the potential negatives and positives of plugging games into the curriculum. It is important that teachers understand their roles when games are played and how to effective correlate students game play to real life. Games create a great potential if used correctly. A teacher has a huge task in creating these games, it is important that teachers cover all angles when creating games for the classroom.
Kicking it up a Notch
Games in Education
By: Sylvia Martinez
SUMMARY
This online conference was debating on whether the use of video games in the classroom are a helpful teaching method. Sylvia Martinez set out to tackle the questions surrounding video games in the classroom. Can video games be effective as learning experiences? Can video games replace worksheets as effective methods of teaching? Can learning content be as easy as inserting games into the curriculum? Or are games hindering the learning of students? Sylvia Martinez gives her take on both the positive and negative affects of video games in the classroom and how to properly substitute hard learning for the use of advanced technology.
REFLECTION
Sylvia Martinez says that there are two important factors that come into having effective game planning in the classroom: having adequate time to play and the role of the teacher as administrator and facilitator. These are important because unlike doing old fashioned worksheets that are easier to create a teacher must take adequate time out of there school day for their children to play these games. The games must also be created in a way that will allow students to learn there importance not just the fun of being able to play the games. It is also important that the teacher knows how to balance game play as well as helping the students understand the correlation between games and real life. Games must be fun, it is hard to create games that are fun as well as realistic. Video games are made to be unrealistic as well as false on historical facts in order to keep the kids entertained. Finding games that are true and fun are a hard combination. Sylvia Martinez does a good job of expressing the time commitment and the potential negatives and positives of plugging games into the curriculum. It is important that teachers understand their roles when games are played and how to effective correlate students game play to real life. Games create a great potential if used correctly. A teacher has a huge task in creating these games, it is important that teachers cover all angles when creating games for the classroom.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Educational Blog (Week 11)
Blog
This blog helped to show me a website that has fun and interactive games that can be incorporated into future classrooms. Some of these games are for ages under high school, which is what i plan to teach, however, it shows that technology does not have to be power points or just presentations. Technology can be fun interactive games which will help the students learn and have fun at the same time. My comment, as of now, is not on the blog because it has to wait for the writer approval, however, it should be there soon. My comment simply states that this is a great site and can help improve teaching using various forms of technology. In this case those forms of technology are interactive learning games. I believe that this site, which is www.what2learn.com can help future teachers with certain lesson plans by incorporating activities in which the students will enjoy.
This blog helped to show me a website that has fun and interactive games that can be incorporated into future classrooms. Some of these games are for ages under high school, which is what i plan to teach, however, it shows that technology does not have to be power points or just presentations. Technology can be fun interactive games which will help the students learn and have fun at the same time. My comment, as of now, is not on the blog because it has to wait for the writer approval, however, it should be there soon. My comment simply states that this is a great site and can help improve teaching using various forms of technology. In this case those forms of technology are interactive learning games. I believe that this site, which is www.what2learn.com can help future teachers with certain lesson plans by incorporating activities in which the students will enjoy.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Technology Project Introduction
For my technology project I will be creating a Smartboard powerpoint presentation pertaining to a health and fitness lesson. This Lesson plan will be over a first aid and CPR training lesson. The Smartboard presentation will allow for me to set up a potential future lesson plan in one of my classes. The other form of technology i will use will be a link to a blog site which will have articles as well as links to websites pertaining to the information that will be on the technology project.
Podcast
Podcast
Sunday, March 21, 2010
NU Educators Panel (Week 10)
In what ways will new technologies be implemented into our prep classes to help prepare the students for teaching with newer versions of technology?
In what ways is the program changing in its required courses for a major in education?
What is NU doing to help students in their hunt for jobs after they graduate with a degree?
In what ways is the program changing in its required courses for a major in education?
What is NU doing to help students in their hunt for jobs after they graduate with a degree?
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Assignment #3: Resources for Teachers
Tool Box
As a future educator it is important to find as many resources as possible. In this toolbox that is linked above I have created a list of 20 websites that will assist me in my teachings. It is important for teachers to reach out and find as many different options for lesson plans as possible and this toolbox that I created has allowed me to create a reference point where I can go when I need help creating lesson plans. Learning this skill as well as creating a list will help me in my schooling as well as when I begin teaching.
I used Mindomo to create my list of resources in my toolbox. At the center of my map is labeled 'Blake's Tool Box', 20 tentacles reach out from the center with links to certain sites on the end of the arms. The tentacles have the name or descriptive heading of what each site is. It helps for me to read the laymen term name of the links so that I can know exactly what websites I want and need to access. I used a variety of sources to help find the resources that I wanted to put into my toolbox. I used websites that were listed on the class blog, Health and PE interactive sites, Smartboard activities, as well as other various resources such as You-tube and wiki. The reason in which I used a variety of sites was so that I had a flavor of all different technologies and methods which will allow for me to have a wide selection when I am soliciting help from my toolbox.
I will use my toolbox for different ideas on how to present lesson plans, interactive whiteboard lessons, video sharing, blogging, assignments, group activities, etc. I believe that I will be able to use my toolbox for many different and a variety of activities in the classroom. My students will benefit from many different resources giving me many different perspectives on how to teach the same assignment. I believe that I will be able to pick and choose the best ideas and mold them into one lesson which will benefit the students learning and my teaching and preparation process. I will interact with fellow teachers and ask them for helpful pointers and tips as well as share my web address so that they can visit my site and find helpful hints of their own. It is important to use a two way street when dealing with sharing and receiving help from your peers.
Youtube
When dealing with health and PE classes it is important for students to learn specific movements and motor skills, Youtube presents a great teaching tool and can help students learn the movements necessary for certain sports. It also allows for teachers to show different forms of stretching and also has videos of workouts and various types of exercise routines. If a teacher was to use youtube in the class, I could explain movements and games and then be able to use this teaching device to show and support the teaching done by the teacher. It can help support the teacher by giving visual reassurance to the students and can help elevate and enhance the teaching of sports and motor movements.
Games Coaching Tool
This is one of my favorite sites. It allows for students and teachers to interact with the Smart-board while learning how to play certain sports. On this website you can show the students the certain positions and where the positions are to be located on the field or court. It is important for students to be able to interact with the material as well as visually see what position goes where and what position does what on the field and that's what this website does. It allows for the teacher to quiz students and have the students physically move each position from the side of the board onto their correct location on the field of play. It gets the students involved as well as teach them proper technique and positioning.
PECentral
The reason that this site is so valuable is that it allows for teachers to search for various lesson plans. PEcentral gives different lesson plan ideas from all different grade levels and pertain to all different subjects inside the health and fitness field. One aspect of this website that i really enjoy was that it gives teachers certain teaching cues for each different sport and each different unit. It allows for the teacher to learn as well as help prepare their students for certain sports and lessons that go along with each unit. I believe that sometimes a teacher may not have all the imagination and thinking for all the days of the unit and this site allows for those days when the teacher cannot find a lesson to go to the website and help create a fast and efficient lesson plan. It can be extremely beneficial.
As a future educator it is important to find as many resources as possible. In this toolbox that is linked above I have created a list of 20 websites that will assist me in my teachings. It is important for teachers to reach out and find as many different options for lesson plans as possible and this toolbox that I created has allowed me to create a reference point where I can go when I need help creating lesson plans. Learning this skill as well as creating a list will help me in my schooling as well as when I begin teaching.
I used Mindomo to create my list of resources in my toolbox. At the center of my map is labeled 'Blake's Tool Box', 20 tentacles reach out from the center with links to certain sites on the end of the arms. The tentacles have the name or descriptive heading of what each site is. It helps for me to read the laymen term name of the links so that I can know exactly what websites I want and need to access. I used a variety of sources to help find the resources that I wanted to put into my toolbox. I used websites that were listed on the class blog, Health and PE interactive sites, Smartboard activities, as well as other various resources such as You-tube and wiki. The reason in which I used a variety of sites was so that I had a flavor of all different technologies and methods which will allow for me to have a wide selection when I am soliciting help from my toolbox.
I will use my toolbox for different ideas on how to present lesson plans, interactive whiteboard lessons, video sharing, blogging, assignments, group activities, etc. I believe that I will be able to use my toolbox for many different and a variety of activities in the classroom. My students will benefit from many different resources giving me many different perspectives on how to teach the same assignment. I believe that I will be able to pick and choose the best ideas and mold them into one lesson which will benefit the students learning and my teaching and preparation process. I will interact with fellow teachers and ask them for helpful pointers and tips as well as share my web address so that they can visit my site and find helpful hints of their own. It is important to use a two way street when dealing with sharing and receiving help from your peers.
Youtube
When dealing with health and PE classes it is important for students to learn specific movements and motor skills, Youtube presents a great teaching tool and can help students learn the movements necessary for certain sports. It also allows for teachers to show different forms of stretching and also has videos of workouts and various types of exercise routines. If a teacher was to use youtube in the class, I could explain movements and games and then be able to use this teaching device to show and support the teaching done by the teacher. It can help support the teacher by giving visual reassurance to the students and can help elevate and enhance the teaching of sports and motor movements.
Games Coaching Tool
This is one of my favorite sites. It allows for students and teachers to interact with the Smart-board while learning how to play certain sports. On this website you can show the students the certain positions and where the positions are to be located on the field or court. It is important for students to be able to interact with the material as well as visually see what position goes where and what position does what on the field and that's what this website does. It allows for the teacher to quiz students and have the students physically move each position from the side of the board onto their correct location on the field of play. It gets the students involved as well as teach them proper technique and positioning.
PECentral
The reason that this site is so valuable is that it allows for teachers to search for various lesson plans. PEcentral gives different lesson plan ideas from all different grade levels and pertain to all different subjects inside the health and fitness field. One aspect of this website that i really enjoy was that it gives teachers certain teaching cues for each different sport and each different unit. It allows for the teacher to learn as well as help prepare their students for certain sports and lessons that go along with each unit. I believe that sometimes a teacher may not have all the imagination and thinking for all the days of the unit and this site allows for those days when the teacher cannot find a lesson to go to the website and help create a fast and efficient lesson plan. It can be extremely beneficial.
Monday, March 15, 2010
"Caught On Vidoe" (Week 9)
I learned that there are many ways in which a teacher can assess and teach in a classroom. Once reading the article it was common sense that showing a video of the students performance could be beneficial, it just never occurred to me before. Using a camera can really help teach and show the students that learning can be hip and fun. It is important to find the appropriate times and use the appropriate equipment, however. Student can benefit from seeing themselves on tape as well as learn from the mistakes they may have made. It is important to focus more so on the positives and allow for them to experience seeing themselves successful rather then when they were unsuccessful. I believe it is important to help teach in anyway possible and I believe that students can learn great deal from watching themselves on video.
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