Overall, I do feel more 'tech savvy' after completing this course. I loved using the SMART board software, and will definitely use it in my classroom, and GoogleDocs rocks my world! I made a MOVIE. Never thought I would be able to do that, and I don't see myself using it in the classroom just yet, but maybe in the future as an independent study project. Making the Vokis was really fun, too.
I don't know that I would use some things we talked about in my own classroom, like Glogster, but knowing how to create and run a wiki I think will be handy and is a great communication tool for teachers, students, and parents alike.
I'm interested in learning new technologies, especially things that help me to organize my life! Like I said before, and I will say a thousand times over, GoogleDocs is amazing, and I also really love the idea of Diigo lists and having everything stored online, so accessible! I feel comfortable with the technologies we covered in class and am eager to learn new ones as well.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Been reading through the bloggggggs...
... and I found some pretty cool stuff!
I love how Dave, Mel, and Megan chose to get really involved with their blogs, adding extra posts about cool stuff like videos, HP references, and awesome layouts (you English major, you!) I especially enjoyed the link Dave posted from The Nature Conservancy on finding your carbon footprint - totally took the test it was great and I'll probably use that in my classroom at some point. All sorts of awesomeness going on in these blogs - I loved reading them all!
It is great to see how my peers are faring in the program, whether it be progress in T2P-writing or just the openness that everyone writes with in their blogs - it both puts me at ease about where I think I fall, and also inspires me at the same time. Google Reader makes it so easy to read through everything! I've added all of my knitting and sheepy blogs to the reader as well so I can keep caught up on my woolly news too.
I will be checking up on these blogs, friends!! Don't let this be your last post - I really like reading them :) I'm also flattered that a few of you chose to quote my blog... you're all so great.
I love how Dave, Mel, and Megan chose to get really involved with their blogs, adding extra posts about cool stuff like videos, HP references, and awesome layouts (you English major, you!) I especially enjoyed the link Dave posted from The Nature Conservancy on finding your carbon footprint - totally took the test it was great and I'll probably use that in my classroom at some point. All sorts of awesomeness going on in these blogs - I loved reading them all!
It is great to see how my peers are faring in the program, whether it be progress in T2P-writing or just the openness that everyone writes with in their blogs - it both puts me at ease about where I think I fall, and also inspires me at the same time. Google Reader makes it so easy to read through everything! I've added all of my knitting and sheepy blogs to the reader as well so I can keep caught up on my woolly news too.
I will be checking up on these blogs, friends!! Don't let this be your last post - I really like reading them :) I'm also flattered that a few of you chose to quote my blog... you're all so great.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Web Resources
After looking through some of the websites available for student and teacher interaction in the classroom, I saw Wikipedia on the list and thought I'd do a quick search for 'agriculture education.'
This is what comes up (Wikipedia, 2011)
Which is great, but then if you click on the secondary education link - NOTHING HAPPENS. There is no page written! This got me thinking, I could totally have my upperclassmen write that page, and share it with the world! They would be working together as a team, and connecting with the entire world, on a notoriously recognized website. Students could access their work from home, and I would probably have them compile everything first in a GoogleDoc until we are ready to officially post. Kind of excited for this project, actually. It's a big undertaking, with some definite research involved, but it would be so cool.
A second site I plan on using in my classroom is, no surprise here, the 4-H Virtual Farm Tour through Education World (Virginia Cooperative Extension (2000). Some of the things are a little corny and geared towards younger children, but there is a bunch of good vocab, interviews with real people, and quick review games.
Virginia Cooperative Extension (2000). 4-H virtual farm. Retrieved June 29, 2011, from http://www.sites.ext.vt.edu/virtualfarm/main.html
Wikipedia (2011). Agriculture education. Retrieved June 29, 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_Education
This is what comes up (Wikipedia, 2011)
Which is great, but then if you click on the secondary education link - NOTHING HAPPENS. There is no page written! This got me thinking, I could totally have my upperclassmen write that page, and share it with the world! They would be working together as a team, and connecting with the entire world, on a notoriously recognized website. Students could access their work from home, and I would probably have them compile everything first in a GoogleDoc until we are ready to officially post. Kind of excited for this project, actually. It's a big undertaking, with some definite research involved, but it would be so cool.
A second site I plan on using in my classroom is, no surprise here, the 4-H Virtual Farm Tour through Education World (Virginia Cooperative Extension (2000). Some of the things are a little corny and geared towards younger children, but there is a bunch of good vocab, interviews with real people, and quick review games.
Virginia Cooperative Extension (2000). 4-H virtual farm. Retrieved June 29, 2011, from http://www.sites.ext.vt.edu/virtualfarm/main.html
Wikipedia (2011). Agriculture education. Retrieved June 29, 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_Education
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Theory to Practice Week 5
When dealing with learners, it is helpful to understand physical stages that affect them in addition to learning theories and social contexts, learning environments and influences, and more. If an educator understands the chemical, biological and physical changes and stages that affect their learners, they can make better sense of possible solutions to problems that arise in the classroom because these factors combine themselves in various ways within the mind and body.
For example: if the is a student who is not performing in class, an educator can choose various pathways to address the issue. This teacher may call upon the student's past experiences and conceptual frameworks in a Vygotskian sense, where they are checking to see what previous data has constructed and where the student is in terms of the zone of proximal development for the concept/content area/task at hand. If the teacher finds that the student in question has a lower ZPD level, but that their conceptual framework supports the idea (i.e. the idea is clear to the student but the student is still not performing), they may come to the conclusion that it is motivation that is holding the student back. In this case, the teacher may try to inspire the student to foster intrinsic motivation, or through various extrinsic motivators. When considering the use of extrinsic motivators such as positive reinforcement of good behavior (progress towards performance of task) as Skinner would support, it would behoove the teacher to understand how repetitive use of positive reinforcement changes the 'neural net' within the brain, and the chemical and emotional repercussions that may ensue.
For example: if the is a student who is not performing in class, an educator can choose various pathways to address the issue. This teacher may call upon the student's past experiences and conceptual frameworks in a Vygotskian sense, where they are checking to see what previous data has constructed and where the student is in terms of the zone of proximal development for the concept/content area/task at hand. If the teacher finds that the student in question has a lower ZPD level, but that their conceptual framework supports the idea (i.e. the idea is clear to the student but the student is still not performing), they may come to the conclusion that it is motivation that is holding the student back. In this case, the teacher may try to inspire the student to foster intrinsic motivation, or through various extrinsic motivators. When considering the use of extrinsic motivators such as positive reinforcement of good behavior (progress towards performance of task) as Skinner would support, it would behoove the teacher to understand how repetitive use of positive reinforcement changes the 'neural net' within the brain, and the chemical and emotional repercussions that may ensue.
A Good Teacher...
A good teacher... cares deeply about her students as a whole. Not only the group as a functional unit, but about each individual as a 'whole person.' A good teacher knows their content area like the back of their hand, is enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge with others, and presents that content in clear and multi-faceted ways (caters to many different learning styles and levels of understanding). A good teacher keeps in mind where their students are coming from, inquires about their previous knowledge and takes that into consideration. A good teacher loves learning themselves and vows to share that love with their students by facilitating intrinsic motivation. A good teacher is a role model for their students in and outside of the classroom, and inspires morals of respect and decency in the people around them.
from week 4's theory to practice, embellished in bold:
"The more theories that are presented for consideration, the more it all seems interconnected. If an educator can merge the basic concepts of multiple learning theories into a theory to practice, they are more likely to inspire whole person, optimal learning in their students. For example, it is helpful to understand Vygotsky's idea that students may come in with different conceptual frameworks and ZPD levels, but when merged with the theory put forth by Yero that teachers' past experiences shape the way they themselves teach, it gives another angle to consider.
By employing Hansen's model of morals and ethics in their classroom, by displaying good moral judgement themselves, a teacher can evoke and inspire these values in their students, inside and hopefully outside of the classroom as well. When an educator hits a roadblock in the classroom, the more theory and experience they have to reflect on the more efficiently they can solve the problem."
from week 4's theory to practice, embellished in bold:
"The more theories that are presented for consideration, the more it all seems interconnected. If an educator can merge the basic concepts of multiple learning theories into a theory to practice, they are more likely to inspire whole person, optimal learning in their students. For example, it is helpful to understand Vygotsky's idea that students may come in with different conceptual frameworks and ZPD levels, but when merged with the theory put forth by Yero that teachers' past experiences shape the way they themselves teach, it gives another angle to consider.
By employing Hansen's model of morals and ethics in their classroom, by displaying good moral judgement themselves, a teacher can evoke and inspire these values in their students, inside and hopefully outside of the classroom as well. When an educator hits a roadblock in the classroom, the more theory and experience they have to reflect on the more efficiently they can solve the problem."
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Tech tools for special needs students
Technology is too cool sometimes! The technological advancements made today are helping the world connect to each other; helping to connect everyone, including those with special needs who may feel behind. Communication is the cornerstone of teaching, and today we can be clearer than ever before with the help of a few cool devices.
I have worked with students with hearing impairments before, and most recently a common solution for these students has been a microphone for the teacher/speaker to wear that sends wireless signals to an amplifier-type hearing aid the student wears. The microphone usually hangs around the speaker's neck on a lanyard, and is transfered if necessary very easily. They do not interfere with classroom instruction, and allow the hearing impaired student to be anywhere in the room to hear comfortably.
For a student with low-vision, an e-reader may be helpful. E-readers such as the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader offer large print adaptions of many texts, readily available. The Apple iPad also includes screen magnification and VoiceOver, a screen-access technology, for the blind and visually impaired. DAISY talking books are another option for the visually impaired.
For those students that may only need temporary aid, as would be the case of a student with a broken arm, wouldn't it be nice to not have to bother the student sitting next to them to have to type up all of their papers and homework for them? Oh right, there's a technology for that! Speech-to-text software is available that will convert the student's spoken words to text on the computer screen - they can compose their own paper without writing at all! This software may also be useful with an autistic student who may have trouble with grammar or spelling (really, any student having trouble in those areas may benefit) as the software lessens the burden on the speaker to control both the concepts and composition as well as grammatical tasks.
Apple Inc., (2011). Apple accessibility. Retrieved 6/22/11 from http://www.apple.com/accessibility/.
Wikibooks, (2009). Assistive technology in education/DAISY. Retrieved 6/22/11 from http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Assistive_Technology_in_Education/DAISY.
Wikibooks, (2011). Assistive technology in education/speech recognition software. Retrieved 6/22/11 from http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Assistive_Technology_in_Education/Speech_Recognition_Software.
I have worked with students with hearing impairments before, and most recently a common solution for these students has been a microphone for the teacher/speaker to wear that sends wireless signals to an amplifier-type hearing aid the student wears. The microphone usually hangs around the speaker's neck on a lanyard, and is transfered if necessary very easily. They do not interfere with classroom instruction, and allow the hearing impaired student to be anywhere in the room to hear comfortably.
For a student with low-vision, an e-reader may be helpful. E-readers such as the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader offer large print adaptions of many texts, readily available. The Apple iPad also includes screen magnification and VoiceOver, a screen-access technology, for the blind and visually impaired. DAISY talking books are another option for the visually impaired.
For those students that may only need temporary aid, as would be the case of a student with a broken arm, wouldn't it be nice to not have to bother the student sitting next to them to have to type up all of their papers and homework for them? Oh right, there's a technology for that! Speech-to-text software is available that will convert the student's spoken words to text on the computer screen - they can compose their own paper without writing at all! This software may also be useful with an autistic student who may have trouble with grammar or spelling (really, any student having trouble in those areas may benefit) as the software lessens the burden on the speaker to control both the concepts and composition as well as grammatical tasks.
Apple Inc., (2011). Apple accessibility. Retrieved 6/22/11 from http://www.apple.com/accessibility/.
Wikibooks, (2009). Assistive technology in education/DAISY. Retrieved 6/22/11 from http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Assistive_Technology_in_Education/DAISY.
Wikibooks, (2011). Assistive technology in education/speech recognition software. Retrieved 6/22/11 from http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Assistive_Technology_in_Education/Speech_Recognition_Software.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Learning Theories Week 4
If/Then/Because statement, Evidence, Pedagogical Terms, Morals/Ethics, Context/Events
"The readings for today's class helped me to grasp what is going on inside my own little learner's brain: I think my personal framework concerning teaching, i.e. the way I've been instructing for the past ten years, differs from all the new input I'm trying to understand. As Piaget might say, I'm having difficulty discerning between what can be assimilated into my previous framework, and what needs to be accommodated. There is so much to soak in, so much responsibility involved in making sure I understand how it all connects - responsibility to myself, as a learner, to my peers and future colleagues, and to my students! I just want to do it right.
Is there a right way to do it all? Or is it not juggling, but a balancing act?
I laugh at myself a little, and then I continue to laugh, because I know that
this is just the tip of the iceberg, my friends.
Bring it on."
Week 4 Edit
If a teacher's own previous conceptual frameworks differ, even slightly, from the pedagogical frameworks associated with new input (theories, concepts, methods), then they may have trouble assimilating and/or accommodating that data, as Piaget suggests learners do with all new knowledge. There is so much to soak in, so much responsibility involved in making sure I understand how it all connects - responsibility to myself, as a learner, to my peers and future colleagues, and to my students! I just want to do it right.
Case Study - Vicki Davis
Davis’ believes that as teachers, we don’t have to be experts on what we are teaching so much as enable our students to learn on their own, with guidance. If a teacher is not completely competent in an area of content s/he is teaching, then looking to students who may have a leg up on that concept is a valuable tool for use in the classroom. As Vygotsky's social theory suggests, students (and in this case the teacher) may be at different ZPD levels; social interaction, in this case sharing with the class how to perform certain aspects of a computer task, enables learning on many ZPD levels. Davis focuses on students' strengths and weaknesses in this way, which also inspires confidence in her students, and also enhances their competence levels by sharing what they understand with others. Her use of the Wiki and DigiTeen provides her students with connections around the world - bringing to the table a level interaction that may foster feelings of relatedness that may have been absent or unclear just on the classroom scale.
Week 4 Theory to Practice
The more theories that are presented for consideration, the more it all seems interconnected. If an educator can merge the basic concepts of multiple learning theories into a theory to practice, they are more likely to reach and engage more students. For example, it is helpful to understand Vygotsky's idea that students may come in with different conceptual frameworks and ZPD levels, but when merged with the theory put forth by Yero that teachers' past experiences shape the way they themselves teach, it gives another angle to consider. When an educator hits a roadblock in the classroom, the more theory and experience they have to reflect on the more efficiently they can solve the problem.
theorists spreadsheet
Week 4 Theory to Practice
The more theories that are presented for consideration, the more it all seems interconnected. If an educator can merge the basic concepts of multiple learning theories into a theory to practice, they are more likely to reach and engage more students. For example, it is helpful to understand Vygotsky's idea that students may come in with different conceptual frameworks and ZPD levels, but when merged with the theory put forth by Yero that teachers' past experiences shape the way they themselves teach, it gives another angle to consider. When an educator hits a roadblock in the classroom, the more theory and experience they have to reflect on the more efficiently they can solve the problem.
theorists spreadsheet
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