There are many types of technologies that can be used for example 2 about the history class offering interactive tours online to prominent NY museums. One technology that would facilitate this lesson would be the use of blogs. Since this teacher would like his or her student to participate in a critique about the exhibits seen in the interactive tour, a blog would facilitate discussion among the students in and out of the classroom. According to Simonson et al, “Blogs can be excellent tools for student reflections about course content or reporting activities in a student teaching experience (Simonson, 2011). The blog would allow students to voice their opinions as well as learn from their peers.
Another piece of technology that might be beneficial to use in this lesson would be a podcast. Podcasts can be audio presentations or a combination of audio and visual presentations. Students would be able to use podcasts to create a critique about the exhibits seen in the interactive tour. The media learning resources explain that research indicates that when audio and visual cues are shown together, learning is more effective (Laureate Education, 2012). I believe that this is also the case, for these critiques. Students would best present their ideas using a combination of visual and audio and not only use their work as learning tool for themselves but for their peers. The media resource also states that, “the results of several studies also indicate that online students who listen to podcasts demonstrate more effective learning, greater satisfaction, greater autonomy, and greater motivation than online student who do not (Laureate Education, 2012).” Using this technology does not only provide students with avenues to increase their learning, but sparks enthusiasm in their work and the skill to become a self-directed learning.
The internet is the source of many interesting ideas on how to use blogs and podcasts in the classroom. For instance, on the website http://www.edutopia.org/blogging-history-taking-classroom-discussions-online, it discusses how a history class and other disciplines have used blogs as a book club. Students are able to read and discuss their ideas with a large audience. This allows students to become motivated to read because there are then able to showcase their ideas to their peers.
Another website that addresses the use of podcasts is http://thwt.org/index.php/presentations-multimedia/podcasts, which demonstrates how history classes can use podcasts to conduct interviews and then post them for an audience to review. Students will not only learn from one another in these types of lessons, but also become engaged because their research is being showcased for a large audience to view and critique. Students need to feel that their work has a bigger purpose, to truly become engage, and that is what technology provides for them.
In summary, the use of technology in the classroom has many benefits. It allows students to become more self-directed, gives their work a greater meaning, and allows for greater communication with their peers.
Resources
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012). Teaching and Learning at a Distance: Foundations of Distance Education . Baltimore, MD: Author
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Week 2- Distance Learning
Week
2 –Course Project
I chose scenario 1 of the example
of a hybrid/blended course because it most closely relates to how I will be
using distance education in my classroom.
My school district has been involved in a technological update and is
now interested in infusing distance education into the current curriculum. This will be a gradual shift, but will occur
in the foreseeable future. I am also particularing interested in using a
hybrid format to increase student achievement in my classroom. I have found that my students are
particularly interested in bringing more technology into their learning, so I
would like to make that option available to them. I would not only like to enhance the
presentation of content but facilitate communication among my students outside
of the classroom and over distance. Simonson et al explains, “Interactive instruction is possible because telecommunications
technologies permit the learner to contact databases, information sources,
instructional experts, and other students in real time and interactivie ways
(Simonson et al, 2011). I want education
to continue past the doors of my classroom.
I would
like to develop this online aspect to best align with my current curriculum. I want the online aspect of the class to
support the learning that took place in class by offering activities, homework,
discussion, and a way to recap the day’s lesson. This online aspect would act as a support
system for the students, especially those with special needs or that need
additional guidance outside of the classroom.
Simonson et al explains, “the
networked computer permits the learner to access events of instruction that can
be tailored to meet individual needs (Simonson et al, 2011).” The hybrid model enhances the effectiveness
of traditional classroom instruction.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Distance Learning- Week 1
The definition of distance learning is constantly changing because the resources available are constantly changing as well. When I first began considering distance learning as an option for my Master’s degree, I was very hesitant because I could not understand how it could be equivalent to a traditional classroom, but as I began to take my course, my opinion has changed. The technological resources available allow online instructors to provide enriched instruction that could easily replicate the proceeding of a traditional classroom. As I continue to utilize distance learning, I am repeatedly impressed with the resources that are being infused to allow for interactive and collaborative environment for students. In essence, distance learning does not have a true definition because it is constantly evolving. Simonson explains that according to 248 studies conducted, the results yielded no significant difference between a traditional classroom and distance learning (Simonson et al,2012) that demonstrates that the more technology infused into a lesson can not only recreate face-to-face interaction, but replicate other aspects of a traditional classroom experience.
The learning resources have expanded my knowledge of distance learning. For example, it has come to my attention that is not a new concept, but rather has been used for many years. Simonson explains that distance learning is at least 160 years old because in Sweden there were opportunities to study “composition through the medium of post (Simonson et al. 2012, p 37).” What technology has done for distance learning is that it has given it a make-over. This evolution leads to numerous definitions of distance learning but all these definitions have five commonalities. These commonalities include a distinct separation between teacher and learners, individualized practiced instruction, the use of resources such as media to simulate a face to face interaction, an opportunity to communicate with colleagues and instructors and the influence of an educational institution.
I have learned that distance learning is not only used at length in the USA, but world-wide as well. The need for distance learning varies depending on societal differences, lack of technology, economics, and politics. Simonson explains, “In some cases distance education is seen as an answer to inadequate educational opportunities cause by political and/or instability (Simonson et al.2012 p 58).” I now understand that distance learning is not only a tool of accessibility, but a necessity in some countries. In these circumstances, distance learning is more effective than the traditional education offered in these countries. Moller et al explain, Rice suggested that the effectiveness of distance education has more to do with who is teaching, who is learning, and how that learning is accomplished and less to do with the medium. (Moller, 2008)” In these countries, distance learning offers students more opportunities.
In the future, distance learning will take a larger role in the field of education. Distance learning allows student to continue the education when they leave the realm of a traditional classroom. I see myself using online modules as a supplement to my classroom instruction, where students many replicate the traditional classroom experience in their own home, enriching their instruction with media and simulations offered by technology. This supplemental instruction will be used to best meet the needs of each and every student.
Resources
Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 2: Higher education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66-70
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson
The learning resources have expanded my knowledge of distance learning. For example, it has come to my attention that is not a new concept, but rather has been used for many years. Simonson explains that distance learning is at least 160 years old because in Sweden there were opportunities to study “composition through the medium of post (Simonson et al. 2012, p 37).” What technology has done for distance learning is that it has given it a make-over. This evolution leads to numerous definitions of distance learning but all these definitions have five commonalities. These commonalities include a distinct separation between teacher and learners, individualized practiced instruction, the use of resources such as media to simulate a face to face interaction, an opportunity to communicate with colleagues and instructors and the influence of an educational institution.
I have learned that distance learning is not only used at length in the USA, but world-wide as well. The need for distance learning varies depending on societal differences, lack of technology, economics, and politics. Simonson explains, “In some cases distance education is seen as an answer to inadequate educational opportunities cause by political and/or instability (Simonson et al.2012 p 58).” I now understand that distance learning is not only a tool of accessibility, but a necessity in some countries. In these circumstances, distance learning is more effective than the traditional education offered in these countries. Moller et al explain, Rice suggested that the effectiveness of distance education has more to do with who is teaching, who is learning, and how that learning is accomplished and less to do with the medium. (Moller, 2008)” In these countries, distance learning offers students more opportunities.
In the future, distance learning will take a larger role in the field of education. Distance learning allows student to continue the education when they leave the realm of a traditional classroom. I see myself using online modules as a supplement to my classroom instruction, where students many replicate the traditional classroom experience in their own home, enriching their instruction with media and simulations offered by technology. This supplemental instruction will be used to best meet the needs of each and every student.
Resources
Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 2: Higher education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66-70
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Refection Entry
Technology has now saturated the workplace and future workers must now be prepared to tackle and learn new technology to properly complete their workload. As educators, we must adapt our teaching to respond to this trend and allow our students to learn from creating projects using technology and solving problems with technology. This course has given me many ideas on how I can infuse and reinforce these skills in my daily lessons.
This course has taught me about many valuable technological tools that I can use to plan my classes as well as to enrich the classroom experience for my students. In our learning resources Dr. Cennamo explained how teachers should teach self-directed learning by using the acronym GAME. Using this acronym students learn how to set goals, what actions they must take to achieve them, how to monitor their learning, and how to evaluate what they learned (Laureate Education, 2010). My GAME plan has given me guidance on how to learn and seek new information on how to use technological tools in the classroom. My GAME plan has provided me with an organized method to approach new learning and a way to structure my procedure in learning and teaching about new technology.
I have learned many new concepts from this course and my GAME plan. I have learned new ways to use wikis and software to create digital stories. Dr. Abrams explained that digital storytelling is cross curricular and emphasizes important writing skills (Laureate Education, 2010). In this manner I can address core curriculum standards while still emphasizing technological skills. I have also learned about new ways to use the internet to allow students to work and interact when they are not in the classroom. For example NING allows students to manage their work, collaborate, and communicate about their work. The learning of these new skills will have a great impact on my teaching because it allows me to view classroom planning in a different perspective. Now when I consider a topic that I am preparing to teach, I consider the type of technology that I will incorporate into my lessons. For each and every lesson, I try to incorporate as much technology as possible so my students can be better prepared for their future workplace.
My goal in my GAME plan was to collaborate with other educators to learn new ways to effectively use technology in my classroom. I believe that I successfully accomplished that because I have learned new methods to incorporate technology into my classroom even though I have limited access to technology in my school district. My colleagues from this course have offered excellent ideas to overcome limited resources in the classroom, like using centers, or using other technology such as cellphones. With these new found skills, I can truly make a change in my instruction to better prepare my students for the future. I am also going to create a classroom wiki, which will allows my students to communicate on the professional level, outside of the classroom.
In summary, this course has brought many new ideas and strategies of teaching to light. I plan on incorporating all the resources I learned from this class and the ideas that were given to me from my colleagues to enrich my existing lesson plans. Technology is here to stay and educators must incorporate as many aspects of technology as possible to fully prepare their students for the ever-evolving workplace. These skills facilitate the learning of new skills, and that is what is necessary in this constantly changing technological world.
References
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). “Promoting Self-Directed Learning with Technology”.[Motion picture]. Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. . Baltimore : Author
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). “Spotlight on Technology, Social Networking and Online Collaboration, Part 1”.[Motion picture]. Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. . Baltimore : Author
This course has taught me about many valuable technological tools that I can use to plan my classes as well as to enrich the classroom experience for my students. In our learning resources Dr. Cennamo explained how teachers should teach self-directed learning by using the acronym GAME. Using this acronym students learn how to set goals, what actions they must take to achieve them, how to monitor their learning, and how to evaluate what they learned (Laureate Education, 2010). My GAME plan has given me guidance on how to learn and seek new information on how to use technological tools in the classroom. My GAME plan has provided me with an organized method to approach new learning and a way to structure my procedure in learning and teaching about new technology.
I have learned many new concepts from this course and my GAME plan. I have learned new ways to use wikis and software to create digital stories. Dr. Abrams explained that digital storytelling is cross curricular and emphasizes important writing skills (Laureate Education, 2010). In this manner I can address core curriculum standards while still emphasizing technological skills. I have also learned about new ways to use the internet to allow students to work and interact when they are not in the classroom. For example NING allows students to manage their work, collaborate, and communicate about their work. The learning of these new skills will have a great impact on my teaching because it allows me to view classroom planning in a different perspective. Now when I consider a topic that I am preparing to teach, I consider the type of technology that I will incorporate into my lessons. For each and every lesson, I try to incorporate as much technology as possible so my students can be better prepared for their future workplace.
My goal in my GAME plan was to collaborate with other educators to learn new ways to effectively use technology in my classroom. I believe that I successfully accomplished that because I have learned new methods to incorporate technology into my classroom even though I have limited access to technology in my school district. My colleagues from this course have offered excellent ideas to overcome limited resources in the classroom, like using centers, or using other technology such as cellphones. With these new found skills, I can truly make a change in my instruction to better prepare my students for the future. I am also going to create a classroom wiki, which will allows my students to communicate on the professional level, outside of the classroom.
In summary, this course has brought many new ideas and strategies of teaching to light. I plan on incorporating all the resources I learned from this class and the ideas that were given to me from my colleagues to enrich my existing lesson plans. Technology is here to stay and educators must incorporate as many aspects of technology as possible to fully prepare their students for the ever-evolving workplace. These skills facilitate the learning of new skills, and that is what is necessary in this constantly changing technological world.
References
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). “Promoting Self-Directed Learning with Technology”.[Motion picture]. Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. . Baltimore : Author
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). “Spotlight on Technology, Social Networking and Online Collaboration, Part 1”.[Motion picture]. Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. . Baltimore : Author
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Week 7
I believe that the (NET-S) and the (NET-T) are very closely linked because both educators and students need the same skills to both learn and teach using technology. I would use the GAME plan as a strategy to approach a new technological tool. The GAME plan provides and organized method for students to seek the learning of a new skill.
For instance, the second standard discusses, “Communication and Collaboration” in which “Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others (IST).” To teach this standard, I would have my students create their own GAME plan to approach the learning of this new skill. I would model how to create their plans, by showing and discussing one of my own GAME plans. Students will outline their goals, list their actions, learn how to monitor their progress, and evaluate their success. I would specifically have them create this plan for working with wikis on a collaborative project. Through this process my students can attack and be eager to learn about each every standard.
The GAME Plan is an excellent tool because it allows students to organize their actions and goals before they approach a new topic of learning. The GAME plan is an essential part of learning technology because it takes both the educator and a student through a learning process. Technology is constantly changing and both educators and students must adapt and learn these new skills.
References
National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf.
For instance, the second standard discusses, “Communication and Collaboration” in which “Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others (IST).” To teach this standard, I would have my students create their own GAME plan to approach the learning of this new skill. I would model how to create their plans, by showing and discussing one of my own GAME plans. Students will outline their goals, list their actions, learn how to monitor their progress, and evaluate their success. I would specifically have them create this plan for working with wikis on a collaborative project. Through this process my students can attack and be eager to learn about each every standard.
The GAME Plan is an excellent tool because it allows students to organize their actions and goals before they approach a new topic of learning. The GAME plan is an essential part of learning technology because it takes both the educator and a student through a learning process. Technology is constantly changing and both educators and students must adapt and learn these new skills.
References
National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Week 6- GAME Plan Progress
I have learned many things that can improve my instruction and better prepare my students for the future workplace. I must infuse my existing lessons with technology to not only better prepare them but to increase motivation for learning. I have achieved some of my goals already, but there is still much that I want to do with technology. For instance I am planning on creating a wiki or using NING, so I can collaborate on a project with another teacher in my school district. This week’s resources addresses the benefits of using NING because it allows students to create blogs, upload media, manage their work, and interact with one another (Laureate Education, 2010). We are planning a field trip in May and we what students to work on and discuss the topic before we go on our field trip to see an exhibit on Pompeii. This way, they have the prior knowledge to really enjoy and understand the exhibit. Since one of my goals to collaborate with another teacher, I believe that collaborating with someone in my district first is a great start but I have to extend my collaboration to other schools and even countries.
Another goal I have for myself is to research and practice with Windows Movie Maker so I may use this software in my class as well. I am planning on using the extra time I have on my spring break to practice using it before I introduce it to my students.
Learning with technology never stops. The positive side of this is that technology is constantly changing and improving, making our lives easier, but the negative is that it takes time to learn how to use new technology. My biggest obstacle at the moment is to find time to learn and become proficient in these new skills, but this is a goal I will accomplish.
References
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). “Spotlight on Technology, Social Networking and Online Collaboration, Part 1”.[Motion picture]. Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. . Baltimore : Author
Another goal I have for myself is to research and practice with Windows Movie Maker so I may use this software in my class as well. I am planning on using the extra time I have on my spring break to practice using it before I introduce it to my students.
Learning with technology never stops. The positive side of this is that technology is constantly changing and improving, making our lives easier, but the negative is that it takes time to learn how to use new technology. My biggest obstacle at the moment is to find time to learn and become proficient in these new skills, but this is a goal I will accomplish.
References
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). “Spotlight on Technology, Social Networking and Online Collaboration, Part 1”.[Motion picture]. Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. . Baltimore : Author
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