Today we had a discussion about the "way education is going" from ch.8. The 3 main prongs are: customization-providing people with knowledge, interaction-allow learners to actively engage in the process and receive immediate feedback, and learner control-putting learners in charge of their learning so they feel ownership. We discussed the pros and cons of accreditation, epistemic frames, focus on topics that teachers usually have trouble teaching, commercial video games, course management systems, and technology as an equalizer. This discussion helped clarify these topics when I was not sure exactly what they were and broadened my thinking of additional pros and cons that I had not thought about previously. My group talked about epistemic frames, which was a topic from the reading that confused me. From looking back through the reading and talking to my group members, we determined a better idea of what it was and its pros and cons. Other technological sources the presenters brought to our attention included: media resources, educational videos (e.g. Magic School Bus, Bill Nye), Internet access, word processors, video games (e.g. Math Blaster), and blogging.
Contemporary Issues:
Calculators and Student Learning: In elementary schools, we were not allowed to rely on calculators--we had to do the work first, and then use the calculator as a reinforcement/support. Using calculators in place of writing out math problems may affect their ability to complete math problems without using a calculator. I agree--many people cannot do simple long division because they rely on a calculator (or manually counting change as a cashier when the registers go down). I think it is important for students (and anyone) to understand what processes to use when solving problems. Most people have a dependence on calculators, including me. It comes down to good teaching--when to use calculators and when not to (a balance).
iPad: It is like a big iPhone plus it has Excel and a presentation tool. It also has a touch screen and has Internet access. You can download books on it (like a Kindle but you have a presentation tool and word processor for only a little bit more money). You can turn the backlight off to reduce eye strain when reading. It doesn't have a camera, which is a negative (no webcams). It has an integrated battery, so it cannot be removed; therefore, when your battery dies, you will need your iPad replaced--they have talked about replacing it for $100 or replace it for free if you pay to have it insured.
Social networking sites can affect your professional career: Teachers have been suspended and lost their jobs for content on their social networking pages. Some states have forbidden teachers from using social networks. Parents are the people who will have the most objections to this content. I think part of being a "professional" includes keeping our private lives private. If you would be embarrassed for your grandparents or a huge auditorium of people to see certain content, don't put it up. I do not understand why people feel the need to post inappropriate and explicit ("risky behaviors") pictures. There is (or should be) a boundary between your private and public lives. Just think if posting the potentially inappropriate content is worth losing your job (or not getting your job because of it).
Using Technology to Enhance Literacy Instruction: It helps students who have difficulty writing and allows them to express themselves. You can use this multi-media software to compose online; you can publish it online as well. You should probably post them in the classroom too because it allows students to see their work (which is important). Students do not get to illustrate their stories themselves; illustrating is an important part of the writing process for younger children. You can only use first and last initials or first name when publishing online (plus a release from parents).
Cool Tools:
Poll Everywhere: It is an online polling tool that allows you to ask a question. It can also be used as a fund raiser. It is free to use as long as the responding audience is 30 or fewer. You can control all aspects of the poll. The poll can be downloaded onto a PowerPoint or published to a website or blog. You can only answer one way. You can use it to elicit responses from your students, especially those who do not feel comfortable speaking in front of a large group.
Kadoo: It is a file sharing website--you can share photos, files, and what you are thinking (kind of like Facebook), audio and video files, etc. You can only upload one photo at a time. It has limited storage and download space. It does not show all of your uploads under your content. This could be a useful website that would allow my students to have access to school audio, video, or documents from home.
Woome: It is a dating site. Unknown, creepy people can friend you. This is NOT a site to use in school.
ooVoo: It is a networking website where you can contact anyone you want. You can send video messages, make calls, use chats (text chats), and send media files. It is similar to Skype but you can also have multiple video chats (a conference call). Students can use it for online tutoring. To use the whole thing, you have to pay.
We also talked about what is going on for the remainder of the semester, especially about the inquiry project. We learned a little bit about the screencast and to NOT simply read the text; you can summarize the information, add to it, etc. We also talked about the Scratch project, specifically how to show that you have answered all the questions correctly--you make a variable under the "Variables" section (i.e. number of clicks). Start with 0 clicks; add a 'change ______ (variable) to__ (1 click, then 2, 3, etc. as they have clicked on each new thing)' to each sprite. You need to add a "Forever" loop: "if ______ (variable) = ______ (whatever you want)", "Say _____ for ___ secs (what the cat says at the beginning)". Uncheck the box by your variable so it will not show on the screen. You can have an ending screen that says something like Congratulations, The End, etc.
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