Digital Badge #H - Chapter 9

I enjoyed reading about PowerPoint and how it can be used in the classroom.  I agree that it does have its advantages and disadvantages.  It is an easy software to use, but making an interesting PowerPoint with transitions, animations, and graphics can be time consuming.  When used to supplement a lecture, PowerPoint is not the most interactive tool, but even still, it can make a lecture more interesting.  Adding a visual element to the lecture is great for students who like to see things rather than just hear them.  I liked the books suggestion of using PowerPoint slideshows to supply visuals that can then be used to promote discussion (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 223).

While videos have been around and used in the classroom for a long time, they are still a great tool for teachers to use.  Thanks to the internet and sites like YouTube, finding the right video to complement what you are teaching has never been easier.  I have used Khan Academy math videos at home and in my classroom many times.  I do think videos work best when they are limited to 10 seconds or less.  This way students don’t zone out and you can discuss or analyze the video clip while it is still fresh in the students’ minds, making the video a more interactive experience.

Digital cameras can also be very useful in the classroom.  They are relatively inexpensive and so versatile.  Students can use them to make their own books or to enhance a PowerPoint.  I like the suggestion that was made in the book to use them regularly (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 234).  Rather than only pulling them out for special events, use them every day, that way students get lots of practice and become proficient at using them.

Chapter 9 was one of my favorite chapters.  It was interesting to learn about several different ways to use multimedia technology in the classroom.  I really like how the authors included strategies for use in the classroom at the end of each section.

References

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2014). Transforming learning with new    technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc. 


Roberson, C. (2015, March 9). Creativity. Created with Prezi. http://prezi.com/ppfodwbhlnbk/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

Digital Badge #G – Chapter 10

I found the section on multicultural education interesting.  I absolutely agree that students will learn more when the material they are learning is relevant (Maloy, et al., 2014, p. 246). To make material relevant it should relate to real-world type settings; however, what is real-world for one student may not be real-world for a diverse student.  This is one reason why teachers should try to make their lesson plans as diverse and multicultural as possible.  Technology makes this easier than ever by allowing students to go on virtual field trips all over the world or to translate languages to communicate with foreign students (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 247).

            Translation software, such as Google Translate, is also a big help for linguistically diverse students (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 247).  This can also benefit the teacher and help improve communication with parents.  I like the idea of teachers using this new technology to translate newsletters so that non-English speaking parents can be involved in their child’s education.  This would be a definite plus in Arcadia where I work due to the large Hispanic population.

            Finally, I really enjoyed the section on the writing process.  Writing is such an important skill to learn.  I especially liked the part about the writer not being alone and how an audience is essential.  This must be catching on and becoming more mainstream, because I have noticed that this feedback portion of the process is being used in my children’s classes.  After they complete their rough draft, they bring it in to be reviewed by two other students.  They can then make changes to the final copy based on the feedback they receive.  I think this is important because it takes some of the pressure off the student to know they will get some guidance before they have to turn in their paper.  Some students could already get this kind of help at home from a parent, but many students don’t have that kind of support.  Besides, sometimes it is better to hear advice form a peer rather than parent anyway.

              Technology can make it easier for the teacher to help each student maximize their education. From adding more diversity to lesson plans to making accommodations for students with disabilities, technology seems to have an answer for almost everything.


References
Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2014). Transforming learning with new    technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc. 

Digital Badge #F - Chapter 8

I think sharing information with families is important.  These days most teachers have a website automatically set up for them on the school website.  In my experience, however, many teachers don’t use it or use it very sparingly.  This is a shame because it is such a great way to include parents in what is happening in the classroom.  Most teachers say they want parents to be involved and supportive of their child’s education, but teachers need to make sure they communicate effectively with parents in order for this to happen.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to a teacher’s website to look up my son’s homework, only to find nothing or outdated information.  I know teachers are strapped for time, but how long can it really take to type, “Page 135, #1-15”?  Just that little bit of information would be so helpful.  If they actually took the time to post class notes and website links, I personally, would be ecstatic (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 189).

            I found the section on texting interesting (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 194).  I enjoy texting. I hate it when people leave me voicemails.  I would much rather they hang up and send me a text asking me to call them back.  I’ll probably see their text before I would listen to voicemail anyway.  I’m not a fan of overusing texting, though.  Sometimes it is still best to just pick up the phone and call.  Like the book mentions, I have had concerns about what all this texting is going to do to the grammar skills of today’s students.  I was encouraged to find out that it can actually help develop phonological awareness.

             I really liked the section on blogging (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 198).  I like the idea of having students make their own blogs to encourage writing.  That seems like something that would appeal to today’s digital learners.  I also like the idea of having students read different blogs to get different viewpoints on a subject.  What a great way to expose students to more diversity.  Lastly, I really liked the idea of a teacher/class blog.  If any of my kids’ teachers had a blog for any of their classes, I know that I would check it on a regular basis.

            Social media is extremely popular with students these days.  This chapter had some great ideas on how to bring social medial in to the classroom.  It’s like the old saying, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!”

Resources

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2014). Transforming learning with new    technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc. 

Roberson, C. (2015, February 17). Connecting With Students Through Social Media. Created with Canva. https://www.canva.com/design/DABI6K4PxO0/8NxixIW5VtCseW48p0YkKw/edit

Digital Badge #E Chapter 7

Reading about the lower-order and higher-order thinking skills made me think of my daughter in elementary school (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 163).  She was diagnosed with dyslexia in second grade, and each week trying to do spelling words was a nightmare.  Naturally, I was worried about how she would do as the work got harder.  I see now that memorizing spelling words is a lower-order thinking skill. Even now, as a high school senior, she is still a weak speller.  Luckily for her, she is an amazing problem solver.  When she was re-tested for a disability last year, she scored at the genius level on the puzzle solving portion of the test (and yes, she is still dyslexic).  Her counselor at school said many students with disabilities like hers have an easier time in college than their non-disabled peers because they are used to having to find different solutions and ways to solve problems due to their disabilities.  Her higher-order thinking skills have definitely made up for her weaknesses in some of the lower-order thinking skills.  Those weaknesses may have even made her higher-order thinking skills stronger.

I found it interesting to read about Kid Pix and the variety of ways it can be used in the classroom (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 166).  I remember it from my children’s elementary school, and I know it was always really popular with the students.  I loved all the different ways it can be used with math for both younger and older students.  You don’t really think of art software being used for math, but it totally can be.

            I also thought it was interesting to learn about the visual-thinking and concept-mapping software.  I can see how it could be helpful to get started on something, especially for today’s digital learners.  When I am starting to do any type of writing, including these blogs, I have to have a pen and paper.  I write everything down on paper before I start typing it on the computer.  Most of my changes are made on the paper, but some editing is also done as I go through the material while typing.  I can’t imagine using digital writing, where you write directly onto the computer (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 165).  For many of today’s learners, it is probably very natural since they have always done things that way.  I know my daughter thinks it is a waste of time for me to write it down and then type it up.  Just goes to show how different students today are from past generations.

            I really enjoyed learning about the selection and evaluation of software and apps.  It was also mind-opening to discover the surprising ways that common programs such as Kid Pix and Google Earth can be used in the classroom.

Resources

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2014). Transforming learning with new    technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc. 

Roberson, C. (2015, February 9). Ways to use Kid Pix. Created with Gliffy. http://www.gliffy.com/go/publish/7182071

Digital Badge #D - Chapter 5

First, I liked the “Voices from the Classroom” section of Chapter 5 that talked about the high school teacher and two students who found conflicting information on different websites (Maloy, et al, p. 101).  This is a perfect example of why information literacy is important and how critical thinking is used with technology.  Some say that using the internet makes students dumber because all they have to do is point and click to find information.  This is not true.  Once that information is found, there is the need to analyze it to determine if it is relevant and reliable, among other things.  This is an important critical thinking skill.  Students can’t use this skill until they’ve been taught it, however.  I think all students should have to do a project where they evaluate a website in 9^th grade English since they will be using the web for research throughout their high school years.

Photo credit to melenita2012 on Flickr 

I also found the section on e-Readers and e-books interesting (Maloy, et al, p. 102-03).  I have been a longtime fan of e-Readers, purchasing my first Sony Reader many years ago.  Unlike many parents, I don’t think that reading electronic books will have a negative impact on my children.  I believe that having children read books is definitely a positive thing, whether electronic or paper.  There are even some advantages to using e-Readers. If a child doesn’t recognize a word in a paper book, chances are they will not take the time to get a dictionary or get on the computer and look the word up.  If this happens on an e-Reader, all they have to do is double click on the word and they will be given the definition.  I love that.  I also like that students have access to textbooks online.  One thing that I don’t want see, however, is textbooks become strictly electronic.  Call me old-fashioned, but for some reason I prefer a paper version of a textbook.

The section on web browsers was really eye-opening (Maloy, et al, p. 108-09).  I knew that the top search results from Google were the most popular.  I had no idea, however, that Google altered your search results based on previous searches.  I thought that everyone who typed in a certain keyword would get the same results.  I agree with the book that this limits exposure to differing viewpoints (Maloy, et al, p. 109).  From now on, when I do a serious search, I will use more than one type of web browser to be sure I get a range of viewpoints on that particular subject.

Overall, I really enjoyed Chapter 5.  Information literacy is such an important skill to have.  Anyone who thinks that looking up information online is brainless needs to learn about information literacy.  I also enjoyed learning about the different web browsers and the main ways to search the web, super useful information at any age.

Here's a link to test your knowledge on Chapter 5: https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/28f3a9f2-3a42-4372-92d8-cd4ab9cfd0d1

Resources

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2014). Transforming learning with new technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc. 

Digital Badge #C - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: "Transforming Learning with Unique, Powerful Technology”

One of the first things that caught my eye in this chapter was the section on groupwork and collaboration (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 61).  I think that having students work together in class is a great idea.  It can open up a student’s horizons as it exposes students to a variety of viewpoints.  I’m also okay with group discussions, such as the ones we do in this class.  They serve the same purpose to expose students to different ways of thinking, as well as creating a sense of community (especially important in an online class).  I do have one objection to groupwork, group projects in online courses.  I find trying to do a group project completely online to be so tedious and cumbersome. I like to get my work done ahead of time, but even if you try to start the project early, many won’t want to start it yet.  Some people also only get on the website once a week, so you are left waiting on them to join in.   I know we have a group project in this class, and I’m not looking forward to it.  Who knows, maybe this project will change my opinion…. 

I also liked the section on creativity.  Students don’t have to do something that’s never been done before; instead being creative simply means doing something that’s new for them (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 63).  I think it is important to encourage creativity, because creativity lends itself to problem solving and thinking outside the box.  In my class, students are encouraged to be creative when they learn Microsoft Publisher.  First, they follow step-by-step instructions to become familiar with the program.  Next, they are given an image to create.  There are no directions; they have to figure it out themselves.  Last, they design their own Publisher document for a fictitious company.

I found the section on Seymour Papert and his vision for technology learning environments very interesting (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 64).  He explains that humans learn lots of things outside of school without having formal teachers.  For example, babies learn to talk on their own, no small task.  His goal is to use technology to make learning any subject a more informal, natural process – like learning to talk.  This is a really intriguing idea to me.  I had never really thought before about how much children are able to learn on their own.  I’m not sure how he and others will go about creating these types of learning environments, but I think it is a wonderful idea.  I would definitely want to use a program that uses student-centered learning and allows students to learn in a natural way through trial and error.

Overall, I enjoyed this chapter and discovering how technology can be used to foster creativity, groupwork, and a natural, informal style of learning.

Resources

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2014). Transforming learning with new technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc. 

Roberson, C. (2015, January 21). Ways to use technology for creativity. Created with Piktochart. http://magic.piktochart.com/output/4207684-ways-to-use-technology-for-cre

Digital Badge #B - Chapter 2

 

Chapter 2 in Transforming Learning with New Technologies (Maloy, et al, 2014, p.22) started out grabbing my interest with the discussion about technology by the three future teachers.  There was a viewpoint by one of the teachers that was also reflected in some of the introduction posts.  This is the view that using technology frequently in school makes children weaker in critical thinking and problem solving skills.  I did some research (online of course) and found and article entitled “Linked In With: a Writer Who Questions the Wisdom of Teaching with Technology” by Marc Parry (2010) that I thought was interesting.  The article covers an interview of Nicholas Carr about his book The Shallows “which warns that the internet is rewiring our brains and short-circuiting our ability to think.”  I agree with Carr that teachers should take a “balanced approach” when using technology.  Rather than no technology or technology everything, I think it is good to have a variety.  I did, however, find one of the studies that he based his findings on, “The Laptop and the Lecture,” to be silly.  Of course students that pay attention during a lecture rather than surfing the web at the same time are going to have better recall.  Could all this technology be changing the way we think?  Possibly.  However, we can’t stick our heads in the sand and ignore the reality of the world we live in.  Today’s students need to be familiar with all of this technology to be successful in the real world, so I definitely believe technology should be incorporated into the classroom.

            Interestingly enough, this leads to the next section of the chapter which discusses how open you are to using technology.  The choices range from being a “frontier developer/innovator” to “see very little promise” (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 26).  I understand that not everyone is the “cutting edge” type; I know I’m not.  I see myself as being somewhere between an “early adopter” and “quick to follow proven success.” I would like to think that very few teachers fall into the “pay little attention” or “see little promise” category.  That just seems so unrealistic to me.  Today’s students are digital natives, meaning that they have grown up “using instant and interactive computer and wireless technologies” (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 38).  Teachers need to keep up with the times if they want to be in touch with their students.  At the same time, maybe those teachers who are reserved about technology just need to be educated about it and taught how to use it in their classrooms.  I feel like there need to be more lesson plans developed using technology for teachers to use.  I know from firsthand experience that creating your own lesson plan from scratch can be very time consuming. Perhaps if there were more technology based lessons available for teachers to tweak to fit their students, then more teachers might be willing to use it. 

Photo credit to ransomtech on Flickr  

            I found one of the last sentences in the chapter to be so true.  It says, “You use technology to teach students, and you teach students to use technology” (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 41).  I know some people lament that kids these days don’t know how to use the library to do research.  Sure, that’s still a good skill to learn.  I know that my daughter was required to have one book source for a paper she wrote last year.  What’s more important to me, however, is that students be taught how to use technology and the internet to do research.  That is the world we live in today.  They need to understand that some resources available are very reliable, while others, not so much.  These are the skills that going to be the most useful to the students down the road.

            In conclusion, if teachers want to be on the same page as their students, all of whom are digital natives, they need to embrace technology, or at the very least keep up-to-date.  I would like to be the kind of teacher that not only keeps with my students technology-wise, but is able to teach them new things regarding technology.  How cool would that be?

Resources

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2014). Transforming learning with new technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc. 

Parry, M. (2010, July 4). Linked in with: a writer who questions the wisdom of teaching with technology. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved January 12, 2015 from http://chronicle.com/article/Is-Technology-Making-Your/66128/

Roberson, C. (2015, January 13). To tech or not to tech. Created with ToonDoo http://www.toondoo.com/cartoon/8353829