Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Study Guide

First 5 points- Answering these questions honestly. You won't be penalized for answering honestly

15 Points - 3 Core Curriculum Standards
- Math, language arts, and science or social studies
- How would you use technology to teach the standard?
- Why?

Things to consider:
- Content THEN Activity THEN Technology
- Activity Description: What will students do? What will you do?
- Activity description: What is the pedagogy? Collaboration? Discovery Learning? Experiential? Problem-based learning? etc.
- Age-Appropriateness of activity and technology
- Rationale: How does it enable the pedagogy? How does is enable student understanding of the concepts? Does it enable a better representation of the concept? (You don't want your technology to be an add on, you want it to be a core part (Use the Technology Integration Questions),
- TPACK vs TPK : TPK example- Knowing how to use technology for a particular pedagogical purpose. Maybe you'll use it for better management, or it enables students to be more hands on. Knowing how to prepare a really good powerpoint presentation. TPACK ont he otherhand is knowing how to integrate technology with a particular content area, with a particular pedagogical purpose.

In your rationale you need to include TPK and TPACK. Example Have a leaf and the students look into the Microscope.... TPK, if you say it helps them to understand better than nonliving organisms...using hands on discovery (TPACK is more specific pedagogy where the hands on discovery helps to better understand nonliving organisms. You'll be talking about representations or how it helps to better understand content, AND content specific pedagogy that might only relate to the content... like using a manipulative is more TPACK.

Dr. Grahams

Students using technology or instructors only?

* What is the added value
* Rationales for why you use technology are really important

TPACK

* Pedagogy-Focused

1. Technology enhances a content-specific-pedagogy
2. If allowed me to do a specific reading actiity, such as guided reading.

* Represenation/Affordances

1. Tech creates affordance that enhances understanding of specific content
2. Using an animation to show the water cycle and allows the students to better see and make more concrete how the water cucle occurs.


TPK

* Pedagogy-Focused

1. Tech enhances a general-pedagogy
2. It enabled me to caputre their attention

* Representation/Affordances

1. Tech creates affordance that enhances general teaching
2. animations are more fun for students

Common Mistakes:

*Not providing enough detail
*Weak Rationals (See criteria above... don't just say it's a good attention grabber, why is using that particular technology really good?

Monday, April 13, 2009

Week 14: 2 Things I Learned from Presentations

2 of my favorite ideas I saw were:

1. The I-Clicker project where students were assessed based on their i-clicker responses. I loved that this eliminated any embarrassment students might have felt, and you could see whether or not the students were ready for the test. It was a great, and exciting way for the students to review.

2. The second great idea I saw was where students performed a play and they were filmed. Then the film was burned to a cd and projected on an LCD screen where the students evaluated their own performance. This sounds like such a fun activity, and I'm sure the students loved it! It's so beneficial when students can see the work they created. Great use of technology in the classroom!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Week 13 #2: Internet Safety

1. What article did you choose to read for your fourth article?
William C. Porter, “I Have a Question,” Ensign, Mar. 2001, 58–59 "How can our family take advantage of what is available on the Internet while avoiding objectionable material and people of questionable character?"

2. What were the most important things you learned from the readings?
I think something important that I learned is that talking about the dangers of the internet and pornography is important. I must educate my children about it, and then take the precautions such as keeping the computer and T.V. in high traffic areas of the house. I learned how much of a responsibility this is, and this is one way to educate my own family.

3. How will what you have read influence your actions as a parent and/or teacher of children and youth?
I will most definitely talk about the dangers of the internet and pornography with my children and family (when they come). I will use the tips like having good blocking programs on the computer, and educating myself on how the internet works, and how to see the history of where people have been on the internet. I will also find out what kind of access to the internet there is in the school that my children attend, to make sure that students are blocked the best they can be from inappropriate sights.

4. How can you use what you have learned from the reading to have a positive influence on family and friends?
Again, as I educate my family, it will be can be a great influence on their lives. It can only help them keep their lives on the right track, and as I do this I will be fulfilling my responsibility as a spouse and mother. As I take the advice given in the articles that I read, and as I implement the tips that they give, I can be a good influence on my family. I can also provide them information of ways that technology can be good, and help them find productive means to spend their time.

Internet Safety Discussion

I discussed the things that I learned about internet safety with my husband, because he will be a parent, and more importantly the father of my own children. He is 24 years old, and knows quite a bit of the precautions that I read about in the articles on internet safety. He covered where the computer should be located, to identity theft and beyond. I thought it was great to know how much my husband already knows, and it brought me great comfort in knowing that together we'll take the safety precautions of the internet together for our own families. I shared with him the importance of knowing what internet access and location is in not only your home, but your library and especially your childrens' friends. Even though your family takes the precautions, another family doesn't necessarily do the same. This gave me more motivation to provide a happy, loving, and clean home to provide a more enjoyable environment for my children, as well as their friends. THis way I hope to have them coming to our house, instead of the other way around.

Watching Others Slideshows:

I learned that I'm not as creative as others! I'm sort of kidding. But really, people had great ways to incorporate fun technology and connect it to other portions of lessons, like connecting it to art projects. I learned that the possibilities are endless! I also learned that many people had a similar wish-that students could have had more hands on technology where they got to use the program or technology they were using!

Week 13: Technology Implemented in the Classroom!