Thursday, July 19, 2012

Blogfolio


                The introductory video, in which we introduced ourselves through a short video, collaborates with the NETS-T standard 3C.  This standard states that students should “communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats.”  I believe this standard applies because students are communicating facts about themselves through a form of media.  This media used is video.  This could definitely be used in my future classrooms.  Young students would enjoy creating their own personal video, and it could be used to introduce students and “break the ice.”  It also gives students experience using this kind of technology.   I enjoyed this activity.  It was a different way to introduce myself than the standard paragraph or introductory speech.   I would enjoy using this in my future classroom.
                The concept map collaborates with the NETS-T standard 1C which states “Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.”  Through this activity, students are able to plan using a creative process.  Concept maps can be used for planning when writing a research paper, or for getting students to put on paper what they already know.  This is best used for brainstorming and can allow students to creatively put down what they already know.  This is something I would be able to use in my future classroom.  Students can write out a concept map on paper, or form one on the computer.  This would allow students to use technology to brainstorm and think through a topic using a creative means.  I enjoyed this activity.  I have created many concept maps in the past.  I have never, however, created a concept map on the computer using that particular software.  This was a fun and simple way to create a concept map, and I would want to share it with future students.
                Creating a movie on Windows Movie Maker was a unique activity.  This activity collaborates with NETS-T standard 3D which states “model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.”  Students can use this form of technology to create a video supporting research and what they have learned.  This is a creative way for students to show what they have learned to others and reinforce what has been taught.  This is a very useful tool that students can use to show what they have learned, and I would use it in my future classroom.  Students need different ways to show what they have learned. Not all students enjoy writing reports or papers; creating a video can help students express what they have learned in a more creative, technologically advanced way.  I, personally, enjoyed this activity.  Though I found it a little difficult, I believe it would be a very useful tool in an elementary classroom.
                Voki was a web tool that has many uses in a classroom.  This activity collaborates with NETS-T standard 2A which states for teachers to “design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.” Voki is a digital tool teachers can use to create a creative way for students to learn.  Teachers can create vokis or have students create these avatars to teach a lesson or tell about an educational topic.  This is a creative way for students to use digital tools to learn about topics such as history.  It is something I enjoyed creating.  It was fun to create a voki, and interesting to see how they can be used in the classroom.  I would definitely like to use this tool in my future classroom.  It is a way for students to learn in a creative and fun way.
                Exploring the Web 2.0 websites showed several different teaching tools that could be useful.  This activity collaborates with NETS-T standard 2C. This standard states for teachers to “customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources. “  Teachers can use these websites to find tools that work for students with a variety of learning styles and interests.  Using these technology tools can really appeal to students and make learning interesting and fun.  As a future teacher, I want to engage my students, and I believe these websites can really give me some tools necessary to engage even the most disinterested students.  I enjoyed looking through many of these websites and seeing how they work.  Many of them I will be using in the future.

Video: Family


Web 2.0 sites Teachers Should Know About

The first website I chose was Create-A-Graph.  This website offers students tools to create free graphs (bar graphs, line graphs, etc.)  It also offered a great deal of other useful tools.  Students can take a quiz on their grade level and see how they compare to other students around the nation.  Students can also test probability, take other quizzes (such as a College mascot matching quiz), and even search for a college.  As a future elementary math teacher, this could greatly come in handy. This offers a fun way for students to explore graphs and probability.

The second website I chose was SurveyMonkey.  SurveyMonkey allows you to create free surveys and quizzes to take and share.  This could be used in a lesson on statistics, or simply just to have students take quizzes on the computer.  Students would enjoy to take these short quizzes, and the teacher can ask questions based on what has been covered in the class.  Surveys/quizzes are very simple to make on this website.

Gaming to Re-engage Boys in Learning

The video, Gaming to Re-engage Boys in Learning, discusses the fact that boys are not engaged in the classroom. Statistically boys are falling behind in schools.  It is believed that boys spend more time playing video games, but this is not the cause for boys to be behind.  There are many reasons boys are behind.  Boys cannot rough house; there is zero tolerance for any form of violence or talking of violence.  They are not allowed to write about video games because of violence.  They must write about what the teacher asks them to.  There are also fewer male teachers.  There are no male role models in the classroom.  This shows students that males do not belong in school and are not to be smart.  Curriculum is also faster and more difficult.  Because of this, boys are significantly behind; they cannot keep up. 

Learning games can be designed to better fit what boys enjoy.  This would enable boys to enjoy learning.  Male teachers should also be encouraged.  This video shows how boys are behind and future teachers, like myself, should be aware and do what they can to fix this.  Boys should be allowed to be boys, and teachers should use this to teach  them in a way they would understand.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

World Peace Game

The video by John Hunter on World Peace Game is a lecture by a fourth grade teacher.  This teacher gives his fourth grade students the opportunity to play "World Peace Game." This teacher gives away all power in his classroom.  He says he is nothing more than a timekeeper.  These fourth graders have the opportunity to try to figure out real life problems, such  as world peace, global warming, war, etc. These students are in charge and have the opportunity to try to use critical thinking skills to figure out solutions to these real problems.  This is the type of  learning that actually sticks with students.  They remember the answers that they came up on their own.  These students spend a lot of time to work on this long project negotiating and working together.  This is the type of project I would like to have in my own future classroom.  This is what students remember years down the road and are able to use in their real life.

Educator's Guide to Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats


Because technology is used so much today, cyberbullying has become a huge issue with young people.  It is important for educators to know how to deal with this and how to see when it is happening.  Students must be taught that their actions online can affect them and others.  Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats may not seem like as big of a deal as bullying to some students, so students must be taught that these forms of bullying are serious and can have an impact.  Adults should be educated on how to see this problem and respond to it appropriately.  Cyberbullying is a problem that must be dealt with and it is a problem that is not just going to go away.  It is an important part of technological education and should be addressed in schools.

Why Flipped Classrooms are Here to Stay


The article Why Flipped Classrooms are Here to Stay introduced the idea of “flipped classrooms.”  Flipped classrooms are classrooms in which lecture is recorded and sent as homework, and problems and hands-on work are done in the classroom during the day.  This gives students the opportunity to ask questions while they are trying to solve difficult problems.  Though this concept has provided good results through higher test scores, I believe it has both good and bad results.
One good thing about flipped classrooms is that students enjoy online video.  Youtube has proven that young students can spend hours watching online videos.  Having the lectures recorded also gives students the opportunity to stop, pause, rewind, or rewatch the lectures.  This can help in understanding and studying.  It also helps while students are taking notes.
Not all about this concept sounds good, however.  Students cannot stop the teacher and ask questions during the lecture.  The student will have to wait until class to ask any questions.  It also gives the student the opportunity to not watch the lecture, and just figure out the questions on his own. Many students may look at this as an easy way out instead of taking the time to take notes and watch  the videos.