A learning network connects people both on and offline, and it provides a way for individuals to communicate with others about experiences, issues, etc. A learning network has many implications in the classroom, and for college students. They provide a lot of new resources that were not available just a couple years ago. This just goes to show that technology is always changing and improving, and future educators need to be aware and up to date in the society that centers on technological advances. However, the term “technology” scares many individuals. As future educators, we need to move past fears and create a learning network centered around student based learning and a transformation of the school that no longer meets the needs of students in today’s society.
Learning networks leave the responsibility of learning to the student, and it focuses on what students learn outside of the classroom. While books are helpful in an educational environment, they no longer meet the needs of the society we are sending these children into. All schools need to be willing to transform and become a product that looks completely new. The problem is that some teachers and schools are not willing to take on this extreme change in life. Teachers need to learn differently than they did in their high school years. The world is constantly changing, and that includes the field of education. Educating is a lifelong process of learning, and teachers need to be willing to accept this and take it as a challenge. In addition, the students will be more willing to learn if the teachers are learning along with them. Once again, another example of transformation. This idea of communication and building a new environment for learning is too powerful to ignore. Fear is what is holding many districts back. However, technology is not the issue. If students wanted to learn and were engaged in the material, they would clearly be using technology in a beneficial way.
As you can see, this topic sparked many controversies in our classroom. Some people see them as very beneficial, while others feel that technology is too damaging to the students. I personally see potential in this idea. However, educators need to be willing to make it work. Students cannot do this alone. Teachers need to be willing to change and learn too. With technology constantly changing, a future teacher and his or her students will be learning together to make it through as successful year.
My SEDU 183 class is great at using these types of materials. The blog that we continue to maintain is the best example. We post on the blog about things that we all experienced (such as this discussion), but we all had different opinions. This allows us to share our opinions to everyone and get feedback from people who will soon be experiencing the same things. I know that some of us also go and comment of other students’’ blogs, which helps to develop a community of bloggers who can share and talk about different topics in the educational world. We can also blog bout things from other classes and get feedback from other students. I think it is important for all of the students to comment though. Everyone has an opinion, and no two opinions are the same. We willing to share your thoughts because it will help both the writer of the blog and the commenter to better develop an understanding on the topic.
I defiantly see myself using this in my classroom. It is important for students to feel comfortable talking and communicating to students for help. While they can talk to students in the class, they will also grow to rely on a new community of learners though learning networks. Students grow to rely too much on adults and expectations. I know that I fall into this category, but the changing society does not demand this. If we want to produce successful individuals, we as future teachers are going to take to incorporate technology and learning networks into the classroom because this is what is demanded of all individuals in the working and professional world.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Using Videos in Education
We recently learned to use video in an educational classroom. The fun part is writing the script and acting it out, but we also had to learn how to edit the project in the end. Everyone thinks they can make a video, and most are capable of it, but the thought behind the video is what distinguished between a good and bad final product. Our video was a public service announcement about idea of going green (the video is in my last blog post). My group wanted to make an impact on the viewers, so we did take the idea seriously. However, we tried to add some comic relief to the video in order to keep our audience interested. All of these things are what we learned on our own during the time it took us to create our final video. It is important to remember the audience if the group wants a successful video.
Our group had a lot of fun creating our PSA. It was stressful at times trying to come up with a topic and acting ideas, but our group learned very quickly the importance of working as a team. We really did not know how to create the video, but we learned as we continued through the project. Recording the video was very interesting. Our two actors changed the entire script from what was originally practiced. However, they went off the top of their heads and made a fantastic final product. The editing did not start out well for us. We had trouble figuring out the volume level, and we thought we would have to record everything again. However, we learned to smooth out the rough parts, and we all feel that our video is a great representation of what we learned in the unit of video editing. I am sure that with more time allowed, we could have made a more complex video.
Project based learning is very important for future educators to understand. This is obviously an example of project based learning because we were given a new tool and a project to create using the tool. That was all we were given, and we learned to use the tool on our own. This learning style is great for a class like technology because most students will lose interest in a lecture on these topics. However, creating the video gets all students involved and creates an interest in the topic area. Although project based learning cannot be used at all times, it is important to incorporate it as much as possible because many students learn better hands on and will retain the information better from this type of learning style.
Video can be used in many different ways in the educational environment. Teachers can use videos to reinforce topics recently taught in the class. Teachers can also let students create videos in order to show their understanding of a topic. A common use that students like is recreating a scene from a novel that they are reading. Many times teachers use videos as an option that students can choose to do. Some students greatly succeed in the area of media, and video allows students the ability to bring their own creativity to the classroom. Videos can be used in a very negative way too. They should never be used to waste time. Teachers too often put in a video as a way to waste time, so that the teacher can grade tests. Videos allow students a new tool and way of thinking. It is important for educators to allow all students’ creativity flourish, and by incorporating video into a lesson, an educator is doing just that.
Videos are a create use for instruction in the classroom. Some students can better realte to this type of media. Videos are also a fun way for teachers to take a break from the normal lectures and include something new and exciting. Even in college, all of us were excited to watch videos! It is a create way to learn in class, and it mixes up the everyday classroom instruction that students often times get bored with.
Educators can also use video to assess what students have learned. Some students do not take paper tests well, so this is a way to reach the needs of many students. It also allows students to think in a creative light, while still reflecting on what they learned. Students can create videos of them acting out a book plot, and the teacher will clearly know if they students are understanding. Videos take something that is usually not fun (like assessments) and add some enjoyment for the students while still be educational.
Communication is key in an educational setting, and videos can help enhance this. Teachers can use videos for students who may be absent that day. They can record everything on the smart board and then post it to a blog for the students to view. This way the student will not be behind upon returning. The teacher can also record him or herself teaching a lesson if they cannot make it to class one day. Not only does this help out substitutes who may not understand the topic clearly, but it also prevents "blow off days". Substitute teachers are not focused in all areas of study, so this would greatly help them out in teaching a strong lesson to the students.
While this lesson was a lot of fun, the time allowed to create the video was too limited. We could have done so much more experimenting, but we had a very limited amount of time to work in. However, I clearly understand that finals are coming up so we had to crunch it in. Thererfore, I think it was okay to limit the time. We can be thankful that we atleast got some time to work with the program and get a feel for what videos are like in education.
Our group had a lot of fun creating our PSA. It was stressful at times trying to come up with a topic and acting ideas, but our group learned very quickly the importance of working as a team. We really did not know how to create the video, but we learned as we continued through the project. Recording the video was very interesting. Our two actors changed the entire script from what was originally practiced. However, they went off the top of their heads and made a fantastic final product. The editing did not start out well for us. We had trouble figuring out the volume level, and we thought we would have to record everything again. However, we learned to smooth out the rough parts, and we all feel that our video is a great representation of what we learned in the unit of video editing. I am sure that with more time allowed, we could have made a more complex video.
Project based learning is very important for future educators to understand. This is obviously an example of project based learning because we were given a new tool and a project to create using the tool. That was all we were given, and we learned to use the tool on our own. This learning style is great for a class like technology because most students will lose interest in a lecture on these topics. However, creating the video gets all students involved and creates an interest in the topic area. Although project based learning cannot be used at all times, it is important to incorporate it as much as possible because many students learn better hands on and will retain the information better from this type of learning style.
Video can be used in many different ways in the educational environment. Teachers can use videos to reinforce topics recently taught in the class. Teachers can also let students create videos in order to show their understanding of a topic. A common use that students like is recreating a scene from a novel that they are reading. Many times teachers use videos as an option that students can choose to do. Some students greatly succeed in the area of media, and video allows students the ability to bring their own creativity to the classroom. Videos can be used in a very negative way too. They should never be used to waste time. Teachers too often put in a video as a way to waste time, so that the teacher can grade tests. Videos allow students a new tool and way of thinking. It is important for educators to allow all students’ creativity flourish, and by incorporating video into a lesson, an educator is doing just that.
Videos are a create use for instruction in the classroom. Some students can better realte to this type of media. Videos are also a fun way for teachers to take a break from the normal lectures and include something new and exciting. Even in college, all of us were excited to watch videos! It is a create way to learn in class, and it mixes up the everyday classroom instruction that students often times get bored with.
Educators can also use video to assess what students have learned. Some students do not take paper tests well, so this is a way to reach the needs of many students. It also allows students to think in a creative light, while still reflecting on what they learned. Students can create videos of them acting out a book plot, and the teacher will clearly know if they students are understanding. Videos take something that is usually not fun (like assessments) and add some enjoyment for the students while still be educational.
Communication is key in an educational setting, and videos can help enhance this. Teachers can use videos for students who may be absent that day. They can record everything on the smart board and then post it to a blog for the students to view. This way the student will not be behind upon returning. The teacher can also record him or herself teaching a lesson if they cannot make it to class one day. Not only does this help out substitutes who may not understand the topic clearly, but it also prevents "blow off days". Substitute teachers are not focused in all areas of study, so this would greatly help them out in teaching a strong lesson to the students.
While this lesson was a lot of fun, the time allowed to create the video was too limited. We could have done so much more experimenting, but we had a very limited amount of time to work in. However, I clearly understand that finals are coming up so we had to crunch it in. Thererfore, I think it was okay to limit the time. We can be thankful that we atleast got some time to work with the program and get a feel for what videos are like in education.
Our Going Green PSA
We took the time to experiment with video editing, and we made this public service announcement. This PSA is a fun interaction of Going Green. After this experience, we now know how to use video editing to make a fun project with a new educational tool.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Interesting News
In one of my education classes, we were just informed that the state is trying to change the way teacher observations are conducted. Right now, teachers are observed by a principle or assistant principle. However, they want to make the observation based 50% on a principle’s observation of the teacher, and 50% on student performance (from state assessment tests). They want this in effect by Fall of 2012, which means that our class of future educators is clearly effected by this. I personally see this as a horrible idea because some students will always struggle of state tests, and some students are just poor test takers. Also, some students do not take the tests seriously, which shows that they did not learn anything when we know that it is true. Although there are no promises of this taking place, it is important to be aware of the implications. How do you see this affecting the education system? Why do you think they would change to this? What would this really be measuring in your opinion?
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Incorporating New Tools into the Classroom
There are many tools that are centered for a particular age group, but some resources are helpful enough to incorporate ideas for both early childhood educators and secondary educators. Teaching is an ongoing process; we are always running into new ideas to incorporate into lessons. As future educators, it is important to be alert of new tools in order to create an interactive and fun classroom in the future.
Finale is a tool for students with a great interest in the field of music. It allows students or educators to create their own MP3 or composition. I really liked that the tool had a follow along guide to show the students what part of the composition was being played at that moment. The tool also gives a lot of instruments for the educator to choose from that are preinstalled in the program. The negative side is the price because it will cost the educator 300-600 dollars for use. This would require some type of funding that is not always available in the changing economic standing that educators of today must face. Teachers can use this at a basic level of nursery rhymes for young students, or they can make it very advanced for a music class. However, the educator creating this must have a music background to make the tool most beneficial because of the huge learning curve and the complexity of the program. This class presentation was interesting because of all of the sample pieces we got to listen to and see being used. Teachers can use this to explore the more creative side of lessons, such as songs for steps and processes to help students remember things. Students are able to use this to demonstrate understanding, while presenting in a fun and interactive new style.
Prezi is a tool that is much easier to use because it is less complex with a very minor learning curve. This program resembles a lot of the features of our well known Power Point program. Teachers can create themes and fonts that make the presentation more interesting and inviting for the students. Students can also create presentations for class assignments using this tool. Prezi allows an unlimited amount of space, so teachers are able to keep their lessons and make minor changes each year to the presentations. Prezi allows you to create pathways for the viewing of the information, which is a fun way to go above and beyond the usual Power Point slides. Prezi also gives you samples to use, which is helpful to new learners who wish to create the most beneficial presentation. However, be careful not to get too carried away with the pathways and motion. This can be very distracting and cause the students to lose focus on the importance of the information. Educators can use this to create flow charts. The presentation was great because we got to see a sample Prezi that actually was about our own majors. This site gives you templates to follow. Teachers can go to www.prezi.com to create fun and interactive lessons, and hopefully this helps teachers step out of the comfort zone of Power Point. Teaching is all about learning new things and expanding on ideas, such as Power Point, which are too often boring and overused.
Finale is a tool for students with a great interest in the field of music. It allows students or educators to create their own MP3 or composition. I really liked that the tool had a follow along guide to show the students what part of the composition was being played at that moment. The tool also gives a lot of instruments for the educator to choose from that are preinstalled in the program. The negative side is the price because it will cost the educator 300-600 dollars for use. This would require some type of funding that is not always available in the changing economic standing that educators of today must face. Teachers can use this at a basic level of nursery rhymes for young students, or they can make it very advanced for a music class. However, the educator creating this must have a music background to make the tool most beneficial because of the huge learning curve and the complexity of the program. This class presentation was interesting because of all of the sample pieces we got to listen to and see being used. Teachers can use this to explore the more creative side of lessons, such as songs for steps and processes to help students remember things. Students are able to use this to demonstrate understanding, while presenting in a fun and interactive new style.
Prezi is a tool that is much easier to use because it is less complex with a very minor learning curve. This program resembles a lot of the features of our well known Power Point program. Teachers can create themes and fonts that make the presentation more interesting and inviting for the students. Students can also create presentations for class assignments using this tool. Prezi allows an unlimited amount of space, so teachers are able to keep their lessons and make minor changes each year to the presentations. Prezi allows you to create pathways for the viewing of the information, which is a fun way to go above and beyond the usual Power Point slides. Prezi also gives you samples to use, which is helpful to new learners who wish to create the most beneficial presentation. However, be careful not to get too carried away with the pathways and motion. This can be very distracting and cause the students to lose focus on the importance of the information. Educators can use this to create flow charts. The presentation was great because we got to see a sample Prezi that actually was about our own majors. This site gives you templates to follow. Teachers can go to www.prezi.com to create fun and interactive lessons, and hopefully this helps teachers step out of the comfort zone of Power Point. Teaching is all about learning new things and expanding on ideas, such as Power Point, which are too often boring and overused.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Expanding the Usual Classroom
By expanding the classroom, educators can include new resources for the students to experiment with and learn new ideas. Education is a learning process for both the teacher and the students, so teachers should always be looking for new tools to use in the classroom. Kidspiration is a great tool to make a classroom a more active learning environment. This software allows for the use of a graphic organizer, and it benefits both the students and the teacher. The teacher has access to sample lesson plans, and the site also helps to provide lessons for special needs students. These students can all benefit from this site because is allows students to participate in activities that will help them further understand. The software also gives access to clip art that can be helpful in creating more motivational and exciting presentations. The site offers create activities for many subject areas, and it gives different opportunities based on age group. This is important because it shows the focus on the needs of the individuals of certain groups and areas, and not students as a whole. The downside of this program is that it has a cost for unlimited use. Therefore, most teachers will have to pay for this on their own if they want access to the new ideas. Teachers can go to www.inspiration.com/Kidspiration to create student centered activities that will help them develop socially and take more ownership of their work. The presentation clearly showed the success of this tool because of the video with students centrally involved in the lesson. Therefore, they are more excited to learn and are having input into their own educational progress.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Reflecting on Tools in the Classroom
One tool to use in the classroom is called Museum Box. The presenter said that this is a great tool for history classrooms, but it has other beneficial applications. Students can involve photos and videos into each box as part of their presentation. This tool is a great solution for the overuse of power point presentation. It is like a mini compact version of a presentation. It also allows students to express their own creative side to whatever extreme they find appropriate. It allows the students to create these boxes and keep them together, which can help many students with the issue of organization. I can also see this being used as not only a timeline in history, but a way to illustrate layers in many other classes such as science. A beneficial technique for teachers is that it allows them to create lessons, and keep them in an organzied fashion all together in a "drawer". Teachers can go to www.museumbox.e2bn.org to create these slides for their classroom.
A tool that is designed to let students express their creativity is Go! Animate For Schools. This tool is a great way for students to experiement with new ideas and have fun annimating their own creations. It allows them to express themselves and have fun. This tool can be used in an educational setting, but also in a fun way outside of the classroom. The bad side is that the site does cost 99 dollars for a sinlge classroom. Many teachers are more interested in a free source because of the amount of money already included into a classroom. The site is private, so it is more likely to be safe to use in an educational setting. Educators can go to www.goanimate4schools.com to let their students express a more creative side, while still focusing on educational topics.
A tool that is designed to let students express their creativity is Go! Animate For Schools. This tool is a great way for students to experiement with new ideas and have fun annimating their own creations. It allows them to express themselves and have fun. This tool can be used in an educational setting, but also in a fun way outside of the classroom. The bad side is that the site does cost 99 dollars for a sinlge classroom. Many teachers are more interested in a free source because of the amount of money already included into a classroom. The site is private, so it is more likely to be safe to use in an educational setting. Educators can go to www.goanimate4schools.com to let their students express a more creative side, while still focusing on educational topics.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Learning about Tools
In class, we learned a lot about the different tools that are available for classroom use.
Popplet is a great tool for many different students. It allows them to map out ideas, and become more organized. Likewise, it can help educators become more organized when creating a lesson. It incorporates learning for the diverse population that can be found in a class. For instance, many students learn better through pictures and creativity, and this tool allows for this type of learning. I like that you can create your own drawings because it allows the students to personalize their own work. This is often times what can get a student involved in the learning process. It is sad that you are limited to six discussion boards, but one can delete old mappings in order to allow for further instruction using the tool. Educators can go to www.popplet.com in order to create these fun discussion boards for the students to explore and learn through.
Storyjumper is a really cool site, and it can be used in multiple different classrooms. Likewise, there are no age restrictions on this tool. It can be used to create lessons for educators, such as math problems and word problems. However, it can also be used for students to create their own material. Students can personalize this by adding their own photos, which is really nice for students. Many kids like being able to make it more relatable by turning it into a narrative. I like the idea that you can order a hard copy of the book that you create. Parents need to be more involved, and this allows them to see what the students are doing in class. It also allows the teacher to create hard copy of the lesson. An idea is creating a mini yearbook for the students at the end of the year, which many parents and students would be excited about getting. It is important to remember that we are limited to 16 pages in the book, but for my major of early childhood, this would never create a problem. Teachers can go to www.storyjumper.com in order to create a creative new tool for interaction in the classroom setting.
Wordle is another creative tool that can easily be incorporated into the classroom setting. This allows students to create a mix of words, and the students have a say over the size of the different words. Therefore, they can use this to represent themselves and what it more important to them. This tool is great for an introduction and welcome because of the control over what is the biggest vs. the smallest word. If I was creating one, I would put organization as the largest word, and people could really get to know me. Although I do not see this being used by the younger grades, teachers can use this to create fun and interesting posters for these younger children to experience. An educator can go to www.wordle.net in order to create these fun and intriguing new designs for students to experience with.
There are many new tools available on the internet for teachers. The important thing to remember is the age group that you are working with and how you can incorporate these tools in a beneficial way for that particular age group to gain information from. Exploring the options is important to create an interesting classroom for all students to have a fun learning experience in.
Popplet is a great tool for many different students. It allows them to map out ideas, and become more organized. Likewise, it can help educators become more organized when creating a lesson. It incorporates learning for the diverse population that can be found in a class. For instance, many students learn better through pictures and creativity, and this tool allows for this type of learning. I like that you can create your own drawings because it allows the students to personalize their own work. This is often times what can get a student involved in the learning process. It is sad that you are limited to six discussion boards, but one can delete old mappings in order to allow for further instruction using the tool. Educators can go to www.popplet.com in order to create these fun discussion boards for the students to explore and learn through.
Storyjumper is a really cool site, and it can be used in multiple different classrooms. Likewise, there are no age restrictions on this tool. It can be used to create lessons for educators, such as math problems and word problems. However, it can also be used for students to create their own material. Students can personalize this by adding their own photos, which is really nice for students. Many kids like being able to make it more relatable by turning it into a narrative. I like the idea that you can order a hard copy of the book that you create. Parents need to be more involved, and this allows them to see what the students are doing in class. It also allows the teacher to create hard copy of the lesson. An idea is creating a mini yearbook for the students at the end of the year, which many parents and students would be excited about getting. It is important to remember that we are limited to 16 pages in the book, but for my major of early childhood, this would never create a problem. Teachers can go to www.storyjumper.com in order to create a creative new tool for interaction in the classroom setting.
Wordle is another creative tool that can easily be incorporated into the classroom setting. This allows students to create a mix of words, and the students have a say over the size of the different words. Therefore, they can use this to represent themselves and what it more important to them. This tool is great for an introduction and welcome because of the control over what is the biggest vs. the smallest word. If I was creating one, I would put organization as the largest word, and people could really get to know me. Although I do not see this being used by the younger grades, teachers can use this to create fun and interesting posters for these younger children to experience. An educator can go to www.wordle.net in order to create these fun and intriguing new designs for students to experience with.
There are many new tools available on the internet for teachers. The important thing to remember is the age group that you are working with and how you can incorporate these tools in a beneficial way for that particular age group to gain information from. Exploring the options is important to create an interesting classroom for all students to have a fun learning experience in.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Using Edmodo in Educational Settings
Edmodo is a great tool for introducing technology into the classroom setting. Remember back to high school, I used this tool, and it was an excellent way for communication among classmates and teachers. Edmodo has many opportunities for both the students and the educator, and it is a free source to use. Many times schools do not provide money to teachers for such resources, so it is helpful when sites like these are free for use in the classroom.
Edmodo is a great tool for communication in the classroom. It is a form of blogging on the site, and it allows for teachers and students to communicate outside of the classroom. It also allows for teachers to create calendars for the students in the program. These calendars alert the students when an event, such as a test, is coming up. Teachers can also post grades on here for the students to see if the school does not have any other online system. Along with all of these great things, Edmodo allows students to upload files that teachers can collect. Students can also upload a file that is causing him or her an issue, and the teacher can view the problem before class the following day. As mentioned earlier, this resource is also free for use.
Along with all of the wonderful aspects of Edmodo, there are some negative downfalls. Students cannot create an account without a passcode from the educator. The teacher must register the class and then receive a code, so that the students can be added to the class. Edmodo can also be a distraction in class because the students in a class can "chat" or blog together instead of paying attention to the instruction. Although Edmodo is easy to use, it does take practice and corporation. Communication is a great tool for this, but both communicators must be willing to use this. Once this is lost, the communication is no longer available and helpful.
I do have some personal experience with this program, and I loved it! I am a student who likes to be able to ask teachers for help and clarification. My math teacher in high school used this very effectively. I would send him a question, and within minutes he could respond. Edmodo allowed my teacher to send the updates to his phone, so he was able to keep up with his classroom. After being added to each class I was involved with, I could also communicate with peers over group projects. An example from the program using communication will follow.
Me to Mr. Stitt
I have been trying to watch the screencast for about 15 mins, but it will not load for me. you talk for maybe a couple seconds and then it takes 5 mins to load again....any suggestions? Also, what did i miss in advanced math today?
Mr. Stitt - I gave the class the period to do HCB 16 in Advanced Math. Let me check the screencast.
Here, I had missed class and was able to get the homework by using Edmodo. It was a way for him to upload files to me and give me the assignment that I missed. This was very helpful for many students in his classroom.
Edmodo can clearly be used in a classroom setting, and it would be most effective for students in high school because of the typing and communicating. Edmodo can clearly be used to communicate with the teacher over a question or a peer over a group project. It is a way to communicate with one person by sending it as a message or to the entire class as a blog. This is a great way to create an independent classroom for the students. Edmodo can also be used as an online grade storage device. Teachers can grade files that you upload to them, or they can put in other assignments from the classroom. Finally, Edmodo can be used for reminders to students because of the calendar aspect of the tool. It comes up and alerts the students that a grade has been posted or an event is upcoming. This is helpful for all students, and students who frequently miss class are sure to benefit.
Edmodo is a fantastic program for the educational settings today. Many students need a better way to talk to people in the classroom. This allows for great communication, while providing the educational atmosphere that is safe for classroom use. Although you have to be added to a class to have an account, it is very helpful once your teacher takes the time to set the tool up, and everyone will benefit from everything that it has to offer.
Here is a tutorial video on using Edmodo.
Here is a tutorial video on using Edmodo.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Cyber Bullying...Let's Put a Stop to It Before It's Too Late
Cyber Bullying has become an increased problem in educational settings. Cyber Bullying involves bullying over a technology resource. As we all know, technology is the life of the upcoming generation, but the students are often unaware of the issues that can come up in using these resources. Many students are responsible enough to use sites like Facebook appropriately, while others are still using it to bully. This video outlines the issues that arise over technology communications and gives shocking statistics as reasons why we need to act on the problem. As future educators, this video should inspire us to help students be aware of the cyber bullying in the world, so that the students do not find themselves caught up in a bullying disaster. Cyber Bullying causes deaths and many depression problems among children. However, this can be avoided through the awareness of teachers, students, and the community of parents who can all help to make a difference in the lives of students who have experienced cyber bullying.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
No Child Left Behind creating an issue in the classroom
I am currently taking a class on Multiculturalism in American Schools, which is a class to study the history of teaching and the diversity in a classroom setting. Likewise, we talk about different laws that are passed and how they will impact our future as educators. One of the most important is the No Child Left Behind Act, which is a huge topic in many educational settings and in the surrounding communities. This act says that students should all be proficient in math and reading by a certain year. They also punish school districts that have yet to meet this goal. Although it is important for the state to keep up on the progress of education, this has a flip side with many non-beneficial aspects.
As a future educator, I must be prepared to be faced with these acts. The government is always becoming involved with education and trying to improve it. We must work with what is given to us, even if an act like this one is in place that we feel is not serving the purpose. A teacher cannot do much on their own because an act like this is in place for everyone to follow. One must just try to work through it and make the best of a non-beneficial situation.
We all know that no two students are the same. In addition, not all students have the same learning abilities. Keeping this in mind, it is ridiculous to think that all students will be able to reach proficient in basic skills. Let's get back to reality...this is not a dream world. However, it is important for the state to take into account the amount of progress that students make. While they are not all perfect, all students do have the ability to progress forward. As educators, we should be rewarding for progress in the right direction.
Punishment is not the correct way to handle these situations. Teachers are getting blamed when the students do not reach the AYP that year. However, we are all aware that some students refuse to try on tests that "don't effect their grade." This can also be easily changed. We can put more emphasis on requiring a certain score for graduation or a reward. Students will do much better if they are forced to do it correctly. Likewise, teachers can only prepare the students so much. They cannot force them to do well and try, so the responsibility of the scores should never be held to one individual, the educator.
Schools that do poorly also get get funding from the state. How does this make sense? The schools that need the money to make better programs to further understanding are the ones that do not get money to do so. Likewise, schools that are already meeting the requirements are getting more money that they obviously do not need. The state needs to take this into consideration if they want improvement as fast as they are expecting it.
After discussing this educational issue with the entire class and the professor, I think it is very clear that changes need to be made to this act. Likewise, the state is expecting to much from children with disabilities to reach proficient. It would be nice if they could, but they need to be more considerate and focus on the more important aspect...progress. Teachers get held to a lot of standards with this issue, and they should be held to some. However, all of the blame should not be put on an educator.
What are your feelings on NCLB? Do you see it as successful? What suggestions would you make to the government?
As a future educator, I must be prepared to be faced with these acts. The government is always becoming involved with education and trying to improve it. We must work with what is given to us, even if an act like this one is in place that we feel is not serving the purpose. A teacher cannot do much on their own because an act like this is in place for everyone to follow. One must just try to work through it and make the best of a non-beneficial situation.
We all know that no two students are the same. In addition, not all students have the same learning abilities. Keeping this in mind, it is ridiculous to think that all students will be able to reach proficient in basic skills. Let's get back to reality...this is not a dream world. However, it is important for the state to take into account the amount of progress that students make. While they are not all perfect, all students do have the ability to progress forward. As educators, we should be rewarding for progress in the right direction.
Punishment is not the correct way to handle these situations. Teachers are getting blamed when the students do not reach the AYP that year. However, we are all aware that some students refuse to try on tests that "don't effect their grade." This can also be easily changed. We can put more emphasis on requiring a certain score for graduation or a reward. Students will do much better if they are forced to do it correctly. Likewise, teachers can only prepare the students so much. They cannot force them to do well and try, so the responsibility of the scores should never be held to one individual, the educator.
Schools that do poorly also get get funding from the state. How does this make sense? The schools that need the money to make better programs to further understanding are the ones that do not get money to do so. Likewise, schools that are already meeting the requirements are getting more money that they obviously do not need. The state needs to take this into consideration if they want improvement as fast as they are expecting it.
After discussing this educational issue with the entire class and the professor, I think it is very clear that changes need to be made to this act. Likewise, the state is expecting to much from children with disabilities to reach proficient. It would be nice if they could, but they need to be more considerate and focus on the more important aspect...progress. Teachers get held to a lot of standards with this issue, and they should be held to some. However, all of the blame should not be put on an educator.
What are your feelings on NCLB? Do you see it as successful? What suggestions would you make to the government?
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Powerpoint used in an educational setting
Power Point...How did we use it?
As future educators, we were introduced to Power Point as a tool that can be used in the classroom to provide interactive learning for students. We had to create a presentation that was appropriate for our age group, which we got to choose. We also had to relate the presentation to two standards for Pennsylvalnia in teaching. Power Point presentations can be dull and boring, but we had to read on this topic of how to improve them. Then we were put to the test. Creating our own presentation that would involve our students in an interesting way so that it was enjoyable for the teachers and the class of learners.
Benefits:
Although Power Point can be hard to use and keep a class of students interested, Power Point has a lot of new features that allow the educator to make each slide enlightening, while still getting the lesson across. It is also important to include other tools, such as videos, to further the understanding. Power Point lets an educator create interactive slides that can be used in front of the entire class or as an individual assignment. I chose this approach in the tool, and I created questions that students had to answer. Based on their responce, they could either more forward or repeat the problem to get the correct answer. This was in large thanks to action buttons and hyperlinks.
Downfalls:
Some educators use the slides to present a lot of text to a group of students. This can get very boring and hard to focus on. Power Point also is not able to be shared over the internet like a presentation on Goole Docs. Therefore, the teacher would have to work on it on his or her own or possibly transfer though a thumb drive. Most of the downfalls for this program come with how you use the program. Power Point can be very successful, but educators must be willing to take the time to create fun and interactive presentations for the students.
What does everyone think about using this tool in the classroom? Did you think making our own presentatioms better prepared us for our futures? Do you think Power Point will still be a big tool to use when we are the educators of the world?
As future educators, we were introduced to Power Point as a tool that can be used in the classroom to provide interactive learning for students. We had to create a presentation that was appropriate for our age group, which we got to choose. We also had to relate the presentation to two standards for Pennsylvalnia in teaching. Power Point presentations can be dull and boring, but we had to read on this topic of how to improve them. Then we were put to the test. Creating our own presentation that would involve our students in an interesting way so that it was enjoyable for the teachers and the class of learners.
Benefits:
Although Power Point can be hard to use and keep a class of students interested, Power Point has a lot of new features that allow the educator to make each slide enlightening, while still getting the lesson across. It is also important to include other tools, such as videos, to further the understanding. Power Point lets an educator create interactive slides that can be used in front of the entire class or as an individual assignment. I chose this approach in the tool, and I created questions that students had to answer. Based on their responce, they could either more forward or repeat the problem to get the correct answer. This was in large thanks to action buttons and hyperlinks.
Downfalls:
Some educators use the slides to present a lot of text to a group of students. This can get very boring and hard to focus on. Power Point also is not able to be shared over the internet like a presentation on Goole Docs. Therefore, the teacher would have to work on it on his or her own or possibly transfer though a thumb drive. Most of the downfalls for this program come with how you use the program. Power Point can be very successful, but educators must be willing to take the time to create fun and interactive presentations for the students.
What does everyone think about using this tool in the classroom? Did you think making our own presentatioms better prepared us for our futures? Do you think Power Point will still be a big tool to use when we are the educators of the world?
Thursday, September 29, 2011
All About Me
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| My cousin KC who I spend a lot of time watching. By babysitting him and watching him grow, I know that I have chosen the correct profession as an Early Childhood Educator. |
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