A couple weeks ago I blogged on one of my teacher attempting to use the SMART Board in the class, but ultimately giving up because she was frustrated with it. From this experience with her and the SMART Board, I kinda formed the opinion that she was going to stick to her old ways and not attempt to learn the functions and ways to use the new technology in the class.
However, in my last class with her, she clearly had spent time on her own playing with the SMART Board and getting a sense of how to use it. Then, in our class, she had us students go up to it and use it in one of our activities. The particular activity that we did, did not necessarily benefit from the SMART Board, but she stated that she wanted to get us more familiar with the ways of the SMART Board and to become use to working with it frequently in the classroom.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Moses Lake High School Website
Moses Lake High School is where I attended high school 4 years ago. For this assignment, I chose to analyze my former high school's page because I'm not sure where I want to teach post graduation, but in the future, Moses Lake could be where I end up.
After visiting their website, I was very impressed. It was very organized, with the most relevant and time oriented news on the opening page (where it catches your attention). Also on the opening page were pictures of Moses Lake as well as the high school. There was a list of upcoming events in which anyone who read the invite was invited.
The site had organized links that were directed towards different sorts of audiences i.e. students, employment, district, schools, staff, community, etc... From these links, the website provided detailed information for alumni students, nwe testing information, information about the area, etc.. I was surprised at how detailed and well-organized the website was. I definately feel like if you had a particular question reagarding any aspect of the High School, you could go to the site, and answer your own question.
One important aspect that I feel the website could improve upon is the graphics and attractiveness. I understand that it is a professional website and should reflect this, but I think that today's generation has become more creative in the websites and similar technological tools employed by businesses, and this should be reflected on the website. Like I said earlier, there is a picture of Moses Lake on the website, but it was taken on a gloomy day, and thus it kinda sets the tone for the whole website (because it is the first thing you see when you go to the website).
Other than the overall attractiveness of the website, I think that the Moses Lake High School website is very organized and helpful for users.
After visiting their website, I was very impressed. It was very organized, with the most relevant and time oriented news on the opening page (where it catches your attention). Also on the opening page were pictures of Moses Lake as well as the high school. There was a list of upcoming events in which anyone who read the invite was invited.
The site had organized links that were directed towards different sorts of audiences i.e. students, employment, district, schools, staff, community, etc... From these links, the website provided detailed information for alumni students, nwe testing information, information about the area, etc.. I was surprised at how detailed and well-organized the website was. I definately feel like if you had a particular question reagarding any aspect of the High School, you could go to the site, and answer your own question.
One important aspect that I feel the website could improve upon is the graphics and attractiveness. I understand that it is a professional website and should reflect this, but I think that today's generation has become more creative in the websites and similar technological tools employed by businesses, and this should be reflected on the website. Like I said earlier, there is a picture of Moses Lake on the website, but it was taken on a gloomy day, and thus it kinda sets the tone for the whole website (because it is the first thing you see when you go to the website).
Other than the overall attractiveness of the website, I think that the Moses Lake High School website is very organized and helpful for users.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Smart Board Presentations in Class
This class was a very good learning experience. The Smart Board assignment #2 required me to do a little investigating of the Smart Board (how it worked, what it's used for, how ESL students can use it in the classroom, etc...) I found a fun activity, a crossword puzzle, which would be good practice for a vocab lesson in TESL. The activity was interactive and allowed students to work as a group and also to come up to the board and use it first hand.
Along with learning more about the Smart Board from my own activity, I also gained a better understanding of how the board worked by watching the other students' activities and how they used the board. They used different features of the Smart Board software as well as various creative activities which, prior to their presentation, I was clueless about. This goes to show that students in classes where Smart Boards are being used, are learning a great deal about technology just by watching how the teacher and others use it in the classroom.
Overall, I thought Assignment 2 was very informative, on a lot of levels, about the usefulness of the Smart Board. It can be a great tool to get the students actively engaged and interested in the class. It has a tun of different amentities that can be used in various classes. Finally, the use of it in the classroom exposes the students to technology in a first hand/ inadvertant way.
Along with learning more about the Smart Board from my own activity, I also gained a better understanding of how the board worked by watching the other students' activities and how they used the board. They used different features of the Smart Board software as well as various creative activities which, prior to their presentation, I was clueless about. This goes to show that students in classes where Smart Boards are being used, are learning a great deal about technology just by watching how the teacher and others use it in the classroom.
Overall, I thought Assignment 2 was very informative, on a lot of levels, about the usefulness of the Smart Board. It can be a great tool to get the students actively engaged and interested in the class. It has a tun of different amentities that can be used in various classes. Finally, the use of it in the classroom exposes the students to technology in a first hand/ inadvertant way.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Reflection: Professor having difficulty with Smart Board
last week in one of my classes, the teacher was attempting to use the markers that accompany the Smart Board to do an activity on the Smart Board. After minutes of her messing with the Smart Board and and its icons, a student finally asked if she could help, and then succeeded. Amidst these events, another one of the students asked, "Why don't you just write on the white board?" The Professor responded by saying," I would if I could, but we can't move the Smart Board." She then went on to express her frustrations with the Smart board. I couldn't help but think that, for our particular activity, the white board would have sufficed. However, I'm pretty sure that my feelings correlate to those of my Professor's. Because, like her, I don't quite understand how to use th Smart Board. Therefore, I resort to what I know and get frustrated with the new technology that requires me to put time and energy into figuring out how to work it. This example, illustrates a couple of the things we have talked about in class. One being, that before the teacher attempted to use the Smart board in class, she should have played with it and understood how to work it, so that class time was not sacrificed. Also, this example showed the technological devide between the professor and a student in the class. The student knew more about how the Smart Board worked than the teacher did (and this should not be the case).
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Using Power Point for lectures
Recently I've realized that teachers are cluing into the fact that students by a variety of means i.e. listening, seeing, and doing... And further more, these teachers are attempting to incorporate appeal to the variety of learners by using power point (along with the lecture). I understand the notion that seeing paired with listening benefits the learner. However, I don't think that just because we see the words up on the power point, we are better learning the content of the lecture. This post may seem negative and a bit like I'm complaing. But, it's more just me trying to decipher (as a student who will soon be a teacher) whether or not using power point presentations along with lectures are beneficial to the students. In analyzing myself in the classroom, I know that just becuase the teacher has added a power point with some annimations and cute pictures, I am not further engaged in the lesson. It may just be me, but as a future teacher I would like to know if the time spent preparing the slide show is worth it?
Reflection on technology in Media Writing
Last semester, I was in the Media Writing class taught by Kara Heirichs. I really enjoyed the class! However, for one assignment, we were required to work in groups to compare and contrasts various newspapers online. In doing this, we were expected to use power point to inform and highlight to the class what we had found from the different sites (using pictures, animations, etc...) As much as I am embarrassed to admit, I got anxious when I realized that power point was essential to complete the assignment. Lucky for me, one of the girls in my class was very knowledgeable about all the different tools of power point. Once the rest of us group members came up with the information to put on the power point, she whipped up that presentation in a matter of minutes! I was so impressed at how good she was with using the technology. Don't get me wrong, I know how to use computers, and I have done power point presentations. However, it hasn't been since sophmore year of high school that I created a power point presentation, and even then it was a very basic presentation. When watching my tech-savy classmate use all the amenities and short cuts correlating with the power point software, I was amazed at how much there is to know about technology and software, and how far behind I am on it!
Cool Cat Teacher Blog
"Teaching content with new tools, enthusiasm, and the belief that teaching is a noble calling." This statement is the motto for the Cool Cat Teacher Blog, and after checking out the whole blog, I've decided that the motto fits! The Cool Cat blog works to be inspirational to educators in all areas of life (including taking the time to understand and use technology in the classroom). The author blogs nearly every day with different issues or simply a message of encouragement. The message she posted on the day of my visit to her blog was that of not being lethargic and lazy with our dreams. She encouraged her readers to identify and work to achieve their dreams. I know that this is not what I was supposed to reflect on in this assignment, but the message really spoke to me, so I decided to include it in my blog. The Cool Cat blog has links to numerous sites that give examples of how technology can be used in cool ways, articles/ conferences on the use of technology, as well as examples of how she herself has found creative ways of incorporating technology into her curriculum. This blog inspired me to not be lethargic with my knowledge and use of technology. I've recently realized that I shy away from using technology that I am not familiar with. But after reading her blog, I am encouraged to play with technology (like kids do) and enjoy using it for a variety of purposes.
Assignment 2
* ESL Smartboard activity page:
http://www.teacherslovesmartboards.com/smart_board_lesson_plans/
http://iteslj.org/cw/3/ck-22_4-letter_words.html
The Smart Board Activities that I will be using in my presentation are the keyboard and the icon that enlarges the text.
The NETS standards for Students and Teachers this activity covers are:
1. Communication and Collaboration: 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. Students contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.
2. Technology Operations and Concepts:Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students understand and use technology systems. Students also select and use applications effectively and productively.
3. Teachers design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments. This involves designing or adapting relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.
An interactive white board could improve student learning in my future ESL classroom in that the students are using technology while simultaneous learning their vocabulary words in an interactive setting. They can work as a group to become more familiar with the English words, their definitions, and the context they fit into.
http://www.teacherslovesmartboards.com/smart_board_lesson_plans/
http://iteslj.org/cw/3/ck-22_4-letter_words.html
The Smart Board Activities that I will be using in my presentation are the keyboard and the icon that enlarges the text.
The NETS standards for Students and Teachers this activity covers are:
1. Communication and Collaboration: 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. Students contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.
2. Technology Operations and Concepts:Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students understand and use technology systems. Students also select and use applications effectively and productively.
3. Teachers design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments. This involves designing or adapting relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.
An interactive white board could improve student learning in my future ESL classroom in that the students are using technology while simultaneous learning their vocabulary words in an interactive setting. They can work as a group to become more familiar with the English words, their definitions, and the context they fit into.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Generation IM
The article Generation IM was very informative about the different "killer Applications" that can be used in the classroom. One of the the applications explained was Imbee which is similar to a facebook and Myspace, however it is modified to be appropriate for regulations of the classroom. Some teachers have used Imbee for social networking within the classroom. One teacher imparticular, Tenkely used the application to educate her students on Internet safety as well sa to get them familiar with blogging. Once the class got familiar with the site, Tenkely began posting the projects and assignmetns on the web. In doing this, the students' friends and family began tuning into what had been posted giving the students a web-based audience.
As a result the quality of work increased, because the students knew that they had an audience other than their teacher. The kids use this site outside of class to just talk about their interests and whatever. This allows the teacher to get to know the students better. As a teacher, getting to know the kids is key. Once you understand their interests and dislikes, you can incorporate some of those into the lessons. In my opinion, incorporating Imbee into the classroom is very helpful in introducing the students to technology, as well as getting them to interact with one another. From the artice, we learned that the students' quality of work was improved with the posting of the students work on Imbee. This shows that Imbee can be used as a motivational factor with the students.
Another application called Moodle is another application that really interested me. Mark Fuson, a High School English teacher, used Moodle as place to put all his teaching materials online, along with an outline of assignmentts for each week. This is an amazing tool to keep the parents informed on the happenings and requirements of the classroom as well as to help the students stay on track with the class.
As a result the quality of work increased, because the students knew that they had an audience other than their teacher. The kids use this site outside of class to just talk about their interests and whatever. This allows the teacher to get to know the students better. As a teacher, getting to know the kids is key. Once you understand their interests and dislikes, you can incorporate some of those into the lessons. In my opinion, incorporating Imbee into the classroom is very helpful in introducing the students to technology, as well as getting them to interact with one another. From the artice, we learned that the students' quality of work was improved with the posting of the students work on Imbee. This shows that Imbee can be used as a motivational factor with the students.
Another application called Moodle is another application that really interested me. Mark Fuson, a High School English teacher, used Moodle as place to put all his teaching materials online, along with an outline of assignmentts for each week. This is an amazing tool to keep the parents informed on the happenings and requirements of the classroom as well as to help the students stay on track with the class.
Assignment 1
The Article, “Effect of Technology on Motivation in EFL Classrooms” written by Assist. Prof. Dr. Binnur Gencilter stresses that learning a new language is very stressful and difficult. This study researched the relationship between technology being incorporated into the classroom and the children’s opinions of the use of technology in the classroom. The results showed that there was a divide between male and female views on the use of technology. The female students were more excited about the idea of technology in the classroom. They liked the computer-based classes and felt that they made lessons more enjoyable. Further, the female students thought that technology such as films, videos, CDs and e-learning could develop their language skills. On the other hand, while the male students did not express as much excitement regarding the use of technology, they were of the same opinion as the girls that materials used via the internet were “effective, enjoyable, interesting and useful for them.”
According to Gencilter, “Students’ responses have showed that there is a great relation between language-learning motivational factors and using technology.” EFL students prefer that technology be used in the classroom, because using technology increased their motivation. The students felt that the computer connected projector is one of the most useful technological pieces of equipment in the classroom. Jarvis (2005) suggests that the task-based approach, by means of different technological devices in the classrooms, is how the younger generation prefers to be taught. However, this study also revealed that students may find it boring if the teacher uses technology too much.
What I have learned from this article is that EFL students enjoy the use of technology and it may very well be the motivating factor that keeps them excited about coming to class and learning a new language.
The study revealed that EFL students enjoy doing tasks which require different technological devices to complete. While the results all seem very much in favor of technology in the classroom, I think that it is important to pay attention to the stated fact that the students may get bored if technology is over used. In conclusion, this article gave me some pointers about the strengths and weaknesses involved with using technology in the classroom.
These strengths and weaknesses are what I should keep in mind when using technology in my classroom (once I am an EFL teacher). I will use it as a motivational key for learning in a fun way. However, I will be sure to use it in moderation, so as to not bore my students.
The article can be found at:
http://firma.northwestu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=45035185&site=ehost-live
The standard that I felt was important for the students in my ESL classroom is Communication and Collaboration. As an ESL teacher, it is important for me to get my students communicating in English. Communication and interaction from the students in English is the target goal of an ESL teacher. Therefore, I thought this standard was very appropriate to focus on. The Communication and Collaboration Standard holds that 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. An assignment that I could do with my students to help them meet this standard is to help them create a blog on the internet. I could give them class time to use the blog as a journal and write responses to impromptus I had (in English). This project would give them practice in writing in English as well as get them working with technology. The second thing I could do is have them read their fellow classmates blogs and respond in English. They could do this at school or at home (if they had computers).
Look at the NETS for Teachers. Choose one to focus on this semester. Why is this standard important to you as a teacher and for the students in your class? List and talk about 3 ways you will work on this standard this semester. You will be asked to follow up on this at the end of the semester.
The standard that I chose to focus on this semester (from the Nets for Teachers) is Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity. This standard holds that teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. This standard is important to me as a teacher because I want to be a teacher who is fun and keeps learning fun. I want to inspire my kids to use their imaginations and be creative with their learning. I feel like this is something that I should focus on because, as much as it is ideal, being creative and inspirational takes work and is something that a teacher needs to put time into. Three ways that I will work on this standard this semester are by being creative with developing my blog, exploring the different current events in the world (via the internet) and blogging about them, and finally by responding to the posts of my peers.
According to Gencilter, “Students’ responses have showed that there is a great relation between language-learning motivational factors and using technology.” EFL students prefer that technology be used in the classroom, because using technology increased their motivation. The students felt that the computer connected projector is one of the most useful technological pieces of equipment in the classroom. Jarvis (2005) suggests that the task-based approach, by means of different technological devices in the classrooms, is how the younger generation prefers to be taught. However, this study also revealed that students may find it boring if the teacher uses technology too much.
What I have learned from this article is that EFL students enjoy the use of technology and it may very well be the motivating factor that keeps them excited about coming to class and learning a new language.
The study revealed that EFL students enjoy doing tasks which require different technological devices to complete. While the results all seem very much in favor of technology in the classroom, I think that it is important to pay attention to the stated fact that the students may get bored if technology is over used. In conclusion, this article gave me some pointers about the strengths and weaknesses involved with using technology in the classroom.
These strengths and weaknesses are what I should keep in mind when using technology in my classroom (once I am an EFL teacher). I will use it as a motivational key for learning in a fun way. However, I will be sure to use it in moderation, so as to not bore my students.
The article can be found at:
http://firma.northwestu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=45035185&site=ehost-live
The standard that I felt was important for the students in my ESL classroom is Communication and Collaboration. As an ESL teacher, it is important for me to get my students communicating in English. Communication and interaction from the students in English is the target goal of an ESL teacher. Therefore, I thought this standard was very appropriate to focus on. The Communication and Collaboration Standard holds that 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. An assignment that I could do with my students to help them meet this standard is to help them create a blog on the internet. I could give them class time to use the blog as a journal and write responses to impromptus I had (in English). This project would give them practice in writing in English as well as get them working with technology. The second thing I could do is have them read their fellow classmates blogs and respond in English. They could do this at school or at home (if they had computers).
Look at the NETS for Teachers. Choose one to focus on this semester. Why is this standard important to you as a teacher and for the students in your class? List and talk about 3 ways you will work on this standard this semester. You will be asked to follow up on this at the end of the semester.
The standard that I chose to focus on this semester (from the Nets for Teachers) is Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity. This standard holds that teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. This standard is important to me as a teacher because I want to be a teacher who is fun and keeps learning fun. I want to inspire my kids to use their imaginations and be creative with their learning. I feel like this is something that I should focus on because, as much as it is ideal, being creative and inspirational takes work and is something that a teacher needs to put time into. Three ways that I will work on this standard this semester are by being creative with developing my blog, exploring the different current events in the world (via the internet) and blogging about them, and finally by responding to the posts of my peers.
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