Emily Higgins

Teachers are Reaching out to Students with a New Class of Blogs:

I feel that the best part about the blogging trend in classrooms today is that teachers can use them in several different ways. Teachers can use blogs to post homework assignments, links to relevant websites, describe the days activities to keep parents informed, or have students publish written responses to a questions the teacher poses. I love the fact that blogs can serve so many different purposes in the classroom. If teachers take the time to really explore and critique the different blogging sites that are available for class and individual blogs, they should quickly realize that they are not like Myspace of other social networks. With most blog sites teachers can set privacy settings so that only a certain group can view the students blogs. I think it is ridiculous that teachers assume “bad” things about useful online resources because they fail to take the opportunity to check it out before bashing them! What I find the most fascinating about the blogging trend is that students are more excited to read, write and reflect than ever before.

A Day in the Life of Web 2.0:

It is a good feeling to read about information that we have learned about throughout this course. Before taking this class, if I would have read these articles I probably would have asked myself, “where have I been and what am I missing out on?!” However, I am happy to say that after taking this course, I won’t have to ask myself that anymore. I feel like I have a good understanding of Web 2.0 and the articles that I have read about it have really helped me to understand what all it entails. Before this course I am sad to say that I had never heard of Web 2.0, and now it seems that everywhere I go on the internet I see something about it. Like all the rest I have reviewed, these were some very informative articles.

First, I have to say that I really really enjoyed taking this class. I have learned so many things from this course that will be extremely helpful and fun for me to use in the future. Looking back, I have learned so much in a short period of time that it is almost difficult to remember what all I have done. Thank goodness for my social book marking site, moodle and classroom 2.0, to look back on as I am reflecting!

The four things that sparked my attention the most during this course were podcasting, blogging, social bookmarking and the internet grammer assignment that we did. I also can’t believe how much I have learned from all of the other online teacher resources that you had us visit and explore. Looking back, I was only familiar with a few of these resources as I started the course, and now I have a huge selection to choose from on my social bookmarking site. We have explored so many resources that I will need to get onto my social bookmarking site and choose the ones that I feel are the most helpful and userfriendly, and mark them as my favorites. Now that I have had an introduction to so many new tools and resources, I can sit down and spend hours experimenting and learning more. Sometimes it just takes someone to show you the way and tell you about what is out there(it did for me), before your imagination is really sparked about using technology ! This is why I think that all teachers should absolutely be REQUIRED to take a  technology course geared towards their grade level. I think if teachers simply KNEW what resources were available online, they would really be amazed by it all and integrate it into their classrooms!  

I start my student teaching in less than a month and I am very excited to continue using everything that I have learned about through this course. Looking at it from a different perspective, I will have so much to share with my mentor teacher that she might not be familiar with. I wish I would have taken this class when I first started the program instead of at the very end of it all; however, somehow it got overlooked and I didn’t know I was supposed to. Regardless, It was better to learn it now than never, and I feel more technologically literate than I ever have before. This whole experience has been really fun and educational. The greatest part of it all is that the best is yet to come…I can’t wait to use these resources with a real class, and share them with students and other teachers! What I have gained from this course will inevitably make me a better teacher and will help me prepare myself and my students for a technology-driven society.

I’d like to give a HUGE THANKS to Cyndi Danner-Kuhn for everything she has taught our class this summer. Id like to thank her for all the time she has put into helping us become better teachers, and sharing countless teacher resources with us that will make our teaching experiences much easier and high-tech! Thanks a bunch!

Harrison Central High School:

Wow, I thought what they were doing at every subject and level was just azazing! One particular project they showed the students doing really caught my attention. There was a physics class using videa cameras, photogates, and other high tech gadgets to explore the science behind their personal passions. One of the students chose to look at video recording of her playing softball to explore the terms acceleration and average velocity. Another was exploring sound waves and acceration as he watched video of his playing the piano. It was awesome to see the students using discovery learning as I watched all different subjects and grades using technology to learn. I really hope that someday soon all schools have the opportunity to utilize technology in these ways, because it is sad to think that so many students are missing out this! 

Mary Scroggs Elementary School:

My ah-ha moment was hearing about the Tech At Home Program that this school offers! I think this is absolutely awesome! The program gives kids who wouldn’t usually have these resources at home, the opportunity to use them. It provides FREE computers and low internet access fees to families of student’s on free and reduced lunches. This allows all students and parents to get online every night, explore their class websites, email teachers with questions and concerns, do blogs, and most importantly do homework that they can directly submit when they are done. Wow, I hope that this type of program is offered throughout school nationwide in the near future. I find it amazing that some schools are doing things like this, when others don’t even have computer access for their students.  

Another thing about this video that shocked me: Teachers have their own office and phones in this building! They mentioned that this was a very appealing recruiting asset because it makes teachers feel like the professionals that they know they are! I can completely can see how it would be very appealing for a teacher to have the opportunity to have your own personal office and space. I have never heard another elementary school who has the appealing physical and technological aspects as this one did! Pretty cool video to watch.

A Product of Learning:

This video shows that “all students”, regardless of their ethnic background or socioeconomic status, have the ability to learn and excel if they are in an environment that allows for it. In other words, if the resources, and support are present then the student’s ability to learn is unlimited. This school is a perfect example of underprivileged students receiving an outstanding educational experience. One student was quoted as saying, “Nobody feels stupid around here anymore”. With the high-quality curriculum and educational experience like these students are getting, it is only natural that they would enjoy their learning experience and feel like they are all very smart and productive young learners. I wish that all schools had a program like this to offer to their students so that all children could get the kind of satisfaction these students are receiving!

Leading with Laptops:

Wow, 19,000 shiny new laptops were placed in the hands of Maine’s middle schoolers! I sure wish this happens in the district I will soon be teaching in J. Talk about a digitally literate state! I thought the fact that these students took their laptops out on the lake to explore and collect data for a science project was amazing! This is one of the coolest projects that I have seen done with computers in a long time. These students are getting to opportunity to go beyond the classroom with their laptops and take them on fieldtrips. In this video teachers were working less and students were working more. If a teacher can get their students really intrigued and interested in a project like this one, it is true that the teachers will be working less. In this case the students were the experts and the investigators and the teacher was just there for support and guidance. In my opinion, this is the best kind of learning environment that a teacher can provide for their students. There are endless possibilities with discovery learning and as I have seen in this video, laptops really enhance the experience!

Handhelds:

The students in this video are using handheld computers to assist them with classroom projects and everyday lessons. This district purchased 2,200 handhelds for their three high-schools in the year 2000.  I thought what the students were doing with these handheld computers was really interesting. I have never heard of a district using this type of computer for a variety of subjects. I thought that these handhelds were mostly used for business purposes and had no idea that they could play this type of role in a studen’s education. In this video they showed students doing science experiments outdoors with computerized probes. The students watched as their handhelds build graphs for them as they entered data into a spreadsheet. Wow, this looks like fun and I am interested in doing some research to see how many other school districts actually purchase and utilize these handheld computers.

No Gamer Left Behind:

I wish that more schools were utilizing these inventive computer games! I agree with what they say in the video, “they can easily turn dull lessons into hyperreal experiences”. There seem to be many unfortunate barriers that are holding schools back from incorporating these games into their classroom lessons. I think students can really benefit from using educational simulation games in the classroom. However, I believe that it will take teachers realizing the good in them before they will be widely used with students. In my opinion, it is crucial for teachers to understand that simulation is not new, it provides real world experiences, and it helps students understand complex issues. Again, like many other technology programs and devices, lack of knowledge by teachers, and lack of technology in the schools are holding students back from experiencing what they should be!

Assistive Technology, Enabling Dreams:

This video was kind of an overview of the SPED/technology course that I took through Fort Hays a couple semesters back. I was very interested in watching this short video. Last semester I finished my last special education course for my SPED minor. I feel like I have learned a lot about assistive technology devices and have a good understanding of what is being used in today’s schools. Like they say in the video, assistive technologies are changing the ways disabled students communicate, learn and play. It is amazing to see the amount of devices and programs that are available for special needs students to use in school and at home, everyday.  I am always interested in learning about the new technologies available for helping the special needs and disabled live normal, productive lives in and outside of the classroom.  

I have to say that this is one of my favorite online resources that I have been asked to explore throughout this course. I like it because ALTEC has so much to offer teachers and all the links are right there are ready for you to click on. All of the resources that ALTEC has to offer seem like they would be extremely timesaving for teachers to use!  I was very excited to try all of the resources out and learn how to use them.

Throughout the education program, in my methods courses, I had utilized Rubistar, Quizstar, and Teacher Tacklebox. I think that those were the only ones that I was previously familiar with before exploring this website further. I used Rubistar for nearly all of my lesson plans or units because there is no easier way to set up a rubric and grade an assignment or project. I used Quizstar to make several online quizzes that I used for my units, and found them to be extremely time efficient and easy to create.

I explored the links for Arcademic Games, ThinkTank, CasaNotes, WebWorksheet Wizard, and Classroom Architect. Wow, what a wealth of very helpful  and useful resources. There wasn’t one thing that I explored that I wouldn’t want to try out as I begin to student teach in the Fall. If I had to choose two favorites I don’t know if I could because they are all so helpful in different ways. One of the most fun to experiment with was the Arcademic Games. I can see how these online educational games would be a very motivating and intriguing way to help teach students basic math, vocabulary, language arts, and thinking skills. I like the fact that they have resources for students and teachers both to utilize.

I chose to share this resource with the same teacher I discussed Apple Learning Interchange with. She has previously used the same resources from ALTEC that I had previously used during my methods courses, Rubistar and Quizstar. However, she had not experimented with all the links they have to offer on their website. I told her about the others that I explored and mentioned that I thought they would all be extremely useful and time-efficient.

Wow, what an excellent resource for educators! I enjoyed exploring and looking at the “featured content”, and “member submissions”! I like the fact that you can explore and find lesson ideas, and ideas for complete units that you could adapt to use in your own classroom. Considering it is a social network where you can post videos, etc. it reminded me a lot of Facebook or U-tube; however, obviously an educational and instructive version unlike facebook or myspace has to offer. One of the main reasons that I like this social network for educators is because it makes it very easy to communicate with other educators and colleagues to gain insight on lesson/unit ideas, and anything else that can be shared among teachers in order to benefit their students. As a pre-service teacher, I will really be able to benefit from this network by getting on and exploring what current teachers are posting and doing in their classrooms. I think that as classrooms continue to transform technologically, this network will grow in popularity and more teachers will utilize its resources. I shared what I found with a close friend of mine who is a high-school teacher, Myra Lee. She said that she has heard about Apple Learning Interchange and really likes what all it has to offer. She said that it is nice that we are getting to explore and learn about opportunities like these so that we’ll have them as a resource when we begin teaching. I told her a little about what I liked and found in Apple Learning Interchange. I also gave her a quick overview of the cool resources that we have learned about throughout this course. Almost all of the lessons that I viewed while exploring integrated technology of some sort and showed me that classrooms are on their way to “adopting” technology, however slow the process might seem. I am looking forward to spending more time on Apple Learning Interchange and seeing what else I can find! 

U.S. Schools Lag Behind in Use of Technology:

I found this quote very helpfu, "Virtually all U.S. schools are connected to the Internet, with about one computer for every five students". I have been wondering throughout this course, on average, what is the student to computer ratio all over the U.S. I figured it was around 1:5, but wasn't for sure. I was however, surprised when the article stated, "At least 15 states provide some form of "virtual schooling," in which young students gain access to individual instruction online". This surprises me, I figured more than 15 states would offer this...very surprising and disappointing. I agree with the students that were interviewed in this article, when they said, "I think that teachers should be required to go to a technology course," and, "I think that students should have laptops to do everything in class. ... We should not have to carry heavy books all day long." In my opinion, teachers SHOULD be required to take an updated technology course every so often (one similar to TECS 290 could be very eye opening for many older teachers!) Teachers need to know about the things you can do online these days in the classroom, and should be familiar with such things as, podcasts, blogs, and everything else we have learned about in this course!

National Education Technology Plan:

The National Education Technology Plan lays out a framework for transforming education and incorporating advanced technology into our educational system.  They have layed out a set of seven action steps and recommendations to help states and districts work towards this goal. I have to say that this information is nothing new or shocking to me! It is obvious to me that these things have to be done and need to be conquered very soon in order for students to begin benefiting from everything that is available. The plan and action steps they have developed are essential for schools to implement and adopt worldwide! In order to keep up with the advancements in technology and the changing technology world, the education model that we have today must be modified! The vast opportunities, tools, resources and technologies are amazing and our education system must begin to take advantage of all there is available to for students and teachers! Hopefully the action plan that I read about on this website will provide the education system with a more enriched and updated learning environment, and bring today’s teachers up to date and educated with all of the new tools and resources that are now available and can be used in the classroom!

National Education Technology Standards:

This website is excellent for educators and I have already bookmarked it for future use!  All teachers should be incorporating these standards into their lessons on a daily basis. Unfortunately, it has become clear to me throughout my experience with internships and in elementary schools that so many teachers do not utilize these standards in their classroom. These standards are geared towards helping schools and teachers shape all students into technology driven individuals. With the incorporation of these technology standards students will be able to function effectively today and in the future, adapt to change that is inevitable, and encompass evolving technologies. The NETS are encouraging educational leaders to provide learning opportunities that produce technology-capable students. My hope is that within the near future all teachers will be utilizing these standards on a daily basis and realize that technology is a very powerful tool with enormous potential. If all teachers start to utilize this website and the information it provides, our outdated educational system would be one step closer to transforming into one that better serves the need of 21^st century work, technologies, communications, learning, life skills, etc.

Adopt and Adapt:

I enjoyed reading this article, I think that Prensky suggests all the right things and is right on with his evaluation of today’s educational system regarding the integration of technology. The best way to sum it all up is just what the article subtitle suggests, “21^st Century Schools, need 21^st Century Technology”. I believe the same thing that he does; schools and teachers have to start adopting technologies instead of adapting to them in order to keep up with today’s digital age in the classroom. From experience, I know that time restraints play a big role in what teachers are able to accomplish and teach their students. There is definitely not enough time in a teacher’s day to try to keep up with all of the old methods of teaching AND incorporate 21^st century technology. Instead, schools and teachers need to re-think how they are accommodating their students today and ADOPT new curricula, organization, assessments, parental connections, teaching procedures, and many other elements, to adhere to the new digital age. This article hits all the right points and I am lucky I got to read it….all teachers should!!

High School.com:

Unfortunetely, I could not find this page. It said that the page I had requested had moved or was not available any longer. I will try it again later to see if I have better luck!