Friday, April 19, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Blog Post 4: Technology Assessment 2
Now that we finished the semester, consider your first assessment of your technology skills. What are your strengths and weaknesses now? How will you continue to learn about technology after this class is finished?
Strengths
- I know about many, many more Web 2.0 tools now than I did at the beginning of the semester!
- I have explored different ways that Web 2.0 tools can be used in a school library setting.
- I am eager to use the new technologies I have discovered and to learn about even more.
Weaknesses
- As I said in my first post on this topic, I feel overwhelmed by the amount of technology available these days. Ironically, the more tools that I have learned about in this class, the more I found out that I didn't know! I feel more overwhelmed than ever in some ways.
- It is hard for me to use my imagination and see how tools can be applied in different settings without first seeing examples. Many new technologies seem to me like they are just for fun.
After this class, I plan to remain "plugged-in" so to speak. I plan to seek out new technology via school library blogs, social media, and word of mouth with my colleagues. I understand now more than ever how important it is to remain up to date and knowledgeable about new technology.
Strengths
- I know about many, many more Web 2.0 tools now than I did at the beginning of the semester!
- I have explored different ways that Web 2.0 tools can be used in a school library setting.
- I am eager to use the new technologies I have discovered and to learn about even more.
Weaknesses
- As I said in my first post on this topic, I feel overwhelmed by the amount of technology available these days. Ironically, the more tools that I have learned about in this class, the more I found out that I didn't know! I feel more overwhelmed than ever in some ways.
- It is hard for me to use my imagination and see how tools can be applied in different settings without first seeing examples. Many new technologies seem to me like they are just for fun.
After this class, I plan to remain "plugged-in" so to speak. I plan to seek out new technology via school library blogs, social media, and word of mouth with my colleagues. I understand now more than ever how important it is to remain up to date and knowledgeable about new technology.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Blog Post 3: Lesson Plan Revision
I found a plan on the internet for an early childhood math lesson. The students were encouraged to bring a collection of 100 items from home to celebrate the 100th day of school and to help them understand the concept of such a large number. In the plans, the teacher specified that the items should be small, such as paper clips or beans. After students brought in their collections, the class weighed the items and then charted and compared the weights of the different collections.
I thought of a couple of different ways that technology could be incorporated into this lesson:
1. Prior to having students do the collection of 100 things project at home, the teacher could make an Animoto video for them to view in the technology center. The teacher could include different pictures of 100 things in a variety of sizes and shapes. This would also enable students to see things that can't be brought in the classroom, such as 100 cars. The teacher could also include a song about the number 100 in the video in an effort to reach students with an auditory learning style.
2. On the day that students bring in their collections, they could use a paint program on the computer to make representations of the number 100. The teacher could first show the students how to make ten groups of ten and then evaluate which students understood the concept and which ones did not.
3. The teacher and students could chart the collections' weights whole group on a computer program or on a whiteboard.
Here is the link to the old version of the lesson plan:
http://lessons.atozteacherstuff.com/160/100th-day-of-school-collections/
(It's the second lesson plan from the top; the one titled "More 100th Day of School Collections."
I thought of a couple of different ways that technology could be incorporated into this lesson:
1. Prior to having students do the collection of 100 things project at home, the teacher could make an Animoto video for them to view in the technology center. The teacher could include different pictures of 100 things in a variety of sizes and shapes. This would also enable students to see things that can't be brought in the classroom, such as 100 cars. The teacher could also include a song about the number 100 in the video in an effort to reach students with an auditory learning style.
2. On the day that students bring in their collections, they could use a paint program on the computer to make representations of the number 100. The teacher could first show the students how to make ten groups of ten and then evaluate which students understood the concept and which ones did not.
3. The teacher and students could chart the collections' weights whole group on a computer program or on a whiteboard.
Here is the link to the old version of the lesson plan:
http://lessons.atozteacherstuff.com/160/100th-day-of-school-collections/
(It's the second lesson plan from the top; the one titled "More 100th Day of School Collections."
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Class Web 2.0 Wiki
Here is the link to our class Wiki: http://www.wikispaces.com/t/c/4d8xPYcnMmW5HxoloJAAYB
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Copyright Lesson Plan Presentation and Materials
Link to copyright organizer: http://kathyschrock.net/pdf/copyright_schrock.pdf
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Blog Post 2: Handheld Devices
Locate an article about using handheld devices such as tablets (ie.
ipads,nook), cell phones, and ipods for education. Summarize 3 keypoints from
the article. Next, describe how you would use these devices in the library.
Don't forget to include a reference for the article at the end of your
post.
I found an online article entitled "How tablets are invading the classroom" that discussed the increased use of tablets vs.other technology in the classroom. Here are some of the keypoints:
1. Tablets are beginning to replace PCs in the classroom due in large part to the fact that they are more cost effective.
2. Other countries such as Scotland are also investing in tablets for students of all ages. The trend has spread worldwide and continues to grow.
3. The author was hesitant to whole-heartedly embrace tablets as "the answer for education." He points out cons, such as "device management" and "cost," (Hill, 2012).
I can imagine using tablets in the library in a few different ways. First, students could access the library catalog through tablets instead of on a PC. This would enable more students to be served quicker, since it would be cheaper to have more tablets available than PCs. Also, students could use tablets to demonstrate their understanding of books. Teachers or librarians could create tests to be accessed through the tablet or students could complete projects using Web 2.0 tools to demonstrate knowledge. Finally, younger learners who are just beginning to read and write could use the tablets to play games that further their understanding of literacy concepts. These games could be extensions of read alouds or previews of future books.
Sources
http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/tablets-invading-the-classroom/
I found an online article entitled "How tablets are invading the classroom" that discussed the increased use of tablets vs.other technology in the classroom. Here are some of the keypoints:
1. Tablets are beginning to replace PCs in the classroom due in large part to the fact that they are more cost effective.
2. Other countries such as Scotland are also investing in tablets for students of all ages. The trend has spread worldwide and continues to grow.
3. The author was hesitant to whole-heartedly embrace tablets as "the answer for education." He points out cons, such as "device management" and "cost," (Hill, 2012).
I can imagine using tablets in the library in a few different ways. First, students could access the library catalog through tablets instead of on a PC. This would enable more students to be served quicker, since it would be cheaper to have more tablets available than PCs. Also, students could use tablets to demonstrate their understanding of books. Teachers or librarians could create tests to be accessed through the tablet or students could complete projects using Web 2.0 tools to demonstrate knowledge. Finally, younger learners who are just beginning to read and write could use the tablets to play games that further their understanding of literacy concepts. These games could be extensions of read alouds or previews of future books.
Sources
http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/tablets-invading-the-classroom/
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Blog Post 1: Technology Strengths and Weakness
Describe your technology strengths and
weaknesses. As an educator, how do you plan to use your technology strengths?
What do you feel you need to do to overcome your weaknesses. What would you like
to learn about technology in order to improve your instructional strategies?
I think that I have a few different technology strengths and weaknesses. One of my strengths is that I have a good knowledge of a variety of programs and technologies. Like many people, I use technology in countless ways every day. It makes my life easier and I feel relatively technologically savvy as a result. I think my main strength is that I see the value and power of technology and I'm willing to learn more about new aspects I'm not familiar with yet.
As far as weaknesses go, I often feel overwhelmed by the pace at which technology is growing nowadays. It is hard to keep up with all of the new technology available and the tools that go along with it. I also think that while I am willing to learn new things with respect to technology, I tend to get stuck in a rut, using only technologies that I am familiar with instead of delving in to new ones.
As an educator, I think that my technological savvy will be a valuable strength in helping my students. Since I am already familiar with a variety of tools, I plan on sharing those tools with my students. I think that being open to learning about new technology will be invaluable to me as an educator. Educators today must be open to discovering and teaching students about new technology in order to prepare them for the future.
Education and training will be key in helping me overcome my weaknesses. By learning about unfamiliar technology through this course and others like it, I will probably not be so overwhelmed by the resources available. I will also likely discover the ways in which I can incorporate technology into my future library. Being reluctant to explore new technologies is somewhat a personality trait of mine, and it's something that I will just have to work on. Again, building my knowledge and skill level with a greater variety of technology will probably make me feel more comfortable using it.
I would like to learn practical ways to incorporate technology into my classroom or library. I need to see clear examples of how to use different programs in an instructional setting so that I can understand how to implement technology in a meaningful way. I would also like to learn about new technologies and tools so that I can become comfortable with them and then incorporate them into my instructional strategies.
I think that I have a few different technology strengths and weaknesses. One of my strengths is that I have a good knowledge of a variety of programs and technologies. Like many people, I use technology in countless ways every day. It makes my life easier and I feel relatively technologically savvy as a result. I think my main strength is that I see the value and power of technology and I'm willing to learn more about new aspects I'm not familiar with yet.
As far as weaknesses go, I often feel overwhelmed by the pace at which technology is growing nowadays. It is hard to keep up with all of the new technology available and the tools that go along with it. I also think that while I am willing to learn new things with respect to technology, I tend to get stuck in a rut, using only technologies that I am familiar with instead of delving in to new ones.
As an educator, I think that my technological savvy will be a valuable strength in helping my students. Since I am already familiar with a variety of tools, I plan on sharing those tools with my students. I think that being open to learning about new technology will be invaluable to me as an educator. Educators today must be open to discovering and teaching students about new technology in order to prepare them for the future.
Education and training will be key in helping me overcome my weaknesses. By learning about unfamiliar technology through this course and others like it, I will probably not be so overwhelmed by the resources available. I will also likely discover the ways in which I can incorporate technology into my future library. Being reluctant to explore new technologies is somewhat a personality trait of mine, and it's something that I will just have to work on. Again, building my knowledge and skill level with a greater variety of technology will probably make me feel more comfortable using it.
I would like to learn practical ways to incorporate technology into my classroom or library. I need to see clear examples of how to use different programs in an instructional setting so that I can understand how to implement technology in a meaningful way. I would also like to learn about new technologies and tools so that I can become comfortable with them and then incorporate them into my instructional strategies.
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