Framework of Integrated Technology Reflection

I put in an appropriate amount of effort into my learning plan for this class. It was nice that the template was already setup for me, as it gave me a place to start from. I also found the screencast on this assignment to be helpful as well.

This assignment made me realize how easy it is to use RTI and Differentiated Instruction in the classroom. I also saw how helpful it was as I had understood this assignment better once I listened to and saw the screencast. Now that I know how helpful screencasts, podcasts and other technologies can be I am more likely to use them in my classroom even if its not being used as a RTI or Di strategy.

Chapter 10 Reflection-Rethinking Education

"We grew up with the idea that learning means taking courses in school.  As we argued throughout the this book, the identification of education with schooling is slowly unraveling, as new technologies move learning outside of the school's walls." (page 129)

I think that it is a good thing learning is moving outside the walls of the school.  We want students to be actively learning all the time.  The internet has made this possible.  The more that our students learn the more well rounded that they will be and the more knowledge they will possess.  The internet allows any student to go home and research what they learned about in class today if they are really interested in it.  It also allows students to spend more time researching what they are interested in, since there are many topics covered in school and the teacher can't possibly go into lots detail about everything that students learn.

"Pushing students to take more control of their learning..." (page 132)

I think that independent study is a good way for students to take control of their learning in high school.  Independent study allows the student to set their own pace and to have a chance to get passionate about their interests.  I still believe that there needs to be guidance from the teacher who in charge of the independent study course, since some students could take advantage of it.  I think that every student should have a chance to do an independent study course.  They will take more ownership since they are the ones in charge of the learning for the independent study course.

"In terms of mathematics, technology can carry out all of the algorithms that students spend so much time learning in school." (page 134)

As a mathematics minor I know the importance of not letting your calculator do all the work for you.  Students need to understand the math before they just start typing numbers into a formula on a calculator   Once students under stand how to do the problem by hand, then they would be allowed to just type the numbers into the formula on their calculator.  Calculators are a great tool for students to use, but they do need to be taught how to use them properly other wise students will no longer be able to calculate basic math problems in their head since the calculator would be doing all of the work for them.

Chapter 9 Reflection-Rethinking Education

"Meanwhile, children who play video games develop sophisticated problem-solving and communication skills in virtual worlds beyond the experience of many parents.  One way to bridge the gap is to extend the idea of reading with your children to playing with your children.  Pick up the controller and take Madden 2005 or Pokemon for a ride; let your children teach you how to play, raise critical questions about strategies and the purpose of game-play." (page 123)

This quote brings me back to childhood and the Nintendo 64.  It was the first game system that my family had gotten and it was quite a big deal.  I remember always asking for my mom to play with us.  My dad always worked long days so it was mom who was always around.  We would constantly ask her to play and she always told us that the graphics hurt her eyes if she was in front of the game to long.  I believe there was some truth to that, but that it was also used as an excuse.  We would watch us play for a little bit but then leave the room once her eyes started to hurt.  I was always disappointed that she never tried to play with us, even when we got a Game Cube and the graphics were better she still wouldn't play with us.  That is why I like this quote since it is telling parents they should play video games with their children.  Not only will they be spending time with their children but they will also get to see the content that is in these video games.  If parents really knew what kinds of games they are buying for their children I think that they would be in for a surprise as to how much violence can be in a game.

"Often children cannot find others locally who share their passions, but the reach of the Internet would allow them to go beyond their neighborhood and school to find like-minded children." (page 123)

I think that it is a good idea for children to find groups on the internet that share their same passions.  I grew up in a neighborhood where the only neighbors my age moved away when I was in first grade.  So I know what it is like to not have any one your age to talk to.  I think that I could have benefited from an online interest group with kids my age.  However, I do question the security of these groups and how would you know if there was a child predator that belonged to the group or not.  So definitely there needs to be parent supervision.

"A common concern expressed by parents and teachers is that time online equals more time that kids aren't reading books." (page 124)

I agree with this quote in that children are spending less time reading books these days and instead spending it glued to their phones and social networking sites.  If parents and teachers want to do anything about this then they need to encourage reading especially parents at home.  Perhaps all of these new e-readers could help kids want to read more since they are using a type of technology to read with.  I also think that reading just doesn't appeal to kids these days either.  I know growing up the last thing I wanted to do was read just because there were other things calling my name, it wasn't that I didn't like to read.  If parents really want their kids to read a lot then they need to start young and encourage them to read daily.

Chapter 8 Reflection-Rethinking Education

"Kids today spend over 6 hours per day interaction with television, video games, the Internet, instant messaging, email, and other media." (page 113)

I would like to know why parents are letting their children spend that much time on some type of technology.  What ever happened to playing out side with your friends or using your imagination while making a fort in the basement.  If a child gets home from school between 3:15-5:30pm and are then spending 6 or more hours at night with some sort of technology, that means that they are not getting to bed till some time after 9:30pm or later.  Children need their sleep and if they don't get any sleep because they are up playing video games or instant messaging all night long then they are going to most likely fall asleep during school the next day.  Parents who let their child(ren) do this need to realize what they are doing and start setting a time limit that the child can play video games, watch TV, use the computer, etc.  Parents should make sure homework is getting done first before anything else and then limiting the time limit some of the activities that child is going to do that night.  Teachers are doing their best, but they can help the child learn even more when the parents are reinforcing good study habits at home.

"One curriculum design that we favor is using technology to help students focus their learning around their goals and interests.  Such schools would place students in curricula based on their goals and interest, rather than on their  ages or on the prevailing curriculum of their schools." (page 117)

I had never heard of this design till I read this book.  I think that this design would be appropriate for high school and maybe middle school.  I still think that elementary school should be taught the same way with students grouped by their age groups.  I think this would be great for students in high school who know what they want to do and those who do not know what they want to do later in life.  Those who know what career they would like to go into would be able to jump start their college career by possibly taking AP courses during their high school career.  I also see this being beneficial to those who don't know what they want to do for a career, as they could pick a couple areas that they are interested in and take a sampling of those courses that would give them an idea of what kind of career they could choose from.  I don't think that this design would be seen in public schools nation wide, I think that it would be seen in specialty schools.

"Outside the realm of standards-based subject matter, games can also help students develop interpersonal and leadership skills.  Massively multi-player online games, such as World of Warcraft, allow players to solve complex problems involving strategy, logistics, and resource allocation." (page 119)

This quote shows that these games kids play can actually be teaching them something.  There are many games that allow kids to play as a character and they are able to make friends with other characters and some of these friendships spread to real life.  It is just not a good idea for parents to let their child play World of Warcraft or any other video game for a whole entire Saturday.  Children still need to be active and need to use other parts of their brain and body for activities other than playing video games.  Everything is good for you in moderation.

Exit Slip 11-19

The new thinking that I took away from this class was that online educational games are replacing the worksheets in todays classroom.  I think this is a good thing as kids will be more engaged with the games and the games will also help to hold the students attention more.   

 

Online Educational Gaming Activity

http://www.ixl.com/-Place values: Convert between standard and expanded form

1. It does not say exactly who created it.

2. “IXL Learning was founded in 1998 to advance education through Web-based technologies. We create transformative products with an impact that makes them instant classroom essentials.”

3. The games are easy to navigate and are engaging. There aren’t a lot of graphics so this game would be better for middle schoolers.

4. The games aren’t super fun, there is no extra story line to them, and so the students may get bored easily.

5. 3.B.a.1 Recognize and apply place-value concepts to whole numbers less than 1,0003.B.a.2 Read, write, and represent numbers using words, numerals, pictures (e.g. base-ten blocks), number lines, , arrays, expanded forms (24=20+4) and symbolic renaming e.g., 24=30-6.

6. It was easy to find the site.

7. I did not see anywhere to change the language on the website.

8. I think that students could work on the same part of the math in similar form by going to a grade or two below theirs.

 

 

1. Arcademic Skill Builders

2. "Our philosophy is inspired by the intense engagement arcade and video games foster between the player and the game. The Arcademic goal is to make aspects of classroom instruction as effective in creating persistence and involvement as observed in video game players. "

3. It is very easy to use and all the games are catagorized but the subject. All the subjects are on the first page and you can pick which one you would like to play. The graphics are great and there is a lot of color to ge the kids interested in playing.

4. The games are a lot of fun, they incorperate a real life factor such as racing into learning division.

5. Language: K.L.4 & Math: 3.OA.3

6. It was really easy to find it was the second one that popped up in Google.

7. ELL component to find within the websites?

8. No

1. "Family Education Network, a part of Pearson, the education, services and technology company."

2. "Funbrain, created for kids ages preschool through grade 8, offers more than 100 fun, interactive games that develop skills in math, reading, and literacy." "Funbrain's games help students build on what they have learned in class and acquire new skills in reading, math, and problem solving."

3. Yes this is very easy to use and it is graphically appealing. It is very colorful and there are over 100 games to choose from. There are many different catagories and subjects to choose from.

4. I chose to play Math Baseball on the Fun Brain website and it was a lot of fun to play. I think that boys would be most intersted in it because every time they get an addition problem correct they get a run. Every tiem they get one wrong they get an out and when they have reached three outs the game is over,

5. Language and Literacy: 1RL3 & Math: 1.OA.1

6. I was extremly easy to find this site, all I did was type "Educational online games" and it was the first on that popped up.

7. No, the website does not contain an ELL component.

8. RTI & DI-the student can just play the same type of game a grade level down.

1. Learning Games for Kids
2. For educational use.
3. Yes, very easy and engaging.
4. This game is like pacman so I think it will be fun for students to play.
5. 2nd grade Math 2.OA.1, 2.NBT.5, 2.OA.2
6. Easy
7. I cannot find an ELL component to this website.
8. Students could go down a grade level.

1. PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) Published by Tribal Nova
2. To help students learn in a different way.
3. It is easy to navigate and the games and activities look engaging.
4. The games are fun and exciting.
5. Language Arts: 2.RFS.3, 2.RFS.4 & Math: 2. OA.
6. Very easy to find.
7. I cannot find the ELL component of the website.
8. Students could just go up or down a grade level.

 

 

 

 

 

PSA Reflection

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8wifKqur18&feature=youtu.be
 
We put a lot of effort into planning and producing our PSA. After brain storming we finally decided to do a PSA on texting and driving. We decided to use a stop motion to communicate our PSA. After we finally got our props for the PSA done we began taking pictures. Taking pictures was easy and then came the task of uploading them. We had close to 100 pictures so it took a little bit to upload. We used Widows Movie Maker to make our stop motion for our PSA. It took us a while to figure out how to use windows movie maker, but once we got the hang of it, it was easy to finish up.

 I have made a stop motion before in high school, so I know how time consuming it can be, especially if you end up taking a lot of pictures. I think that using stop motion is a good way to complete different projects in the classroom. By having students do a PSA it gets them thinking about things that can impact the class and the community.