21st Century Technology in the Classroom

EDUC-6712I-4 - Relflection

2009-12-27T16:38:00.000-08:00

The nature of education is changing everyday. I remember my mom telling me that when she went to school they had just a few typewriters in the entire school. When i went to school there were 2 computers in every classroom and there was a computer lab with abround 20 computers. In the school I am currently teaching in, I have 9 computers in my room and there is a computer lab on each hallway with around 30 computers in them.

Schools and the way education is taught has changed so much over the past 20 or so years. I was never taught the way I am currently teaching.

This class has really helped me practice more of the effective learning strategies. I feel as if the Unit plan may have been the most effective way for me to create more of an effective classroom environment. A strength I have always had was integrating technology in to my lessons. This class, however, has allowed me to search and find more web 2.0 tools to help teach the information i am trying to get across.

Technology is a huge part of education now and should continue to be. I feel as if every teacher should have to take a class like this so they can teach using technology also . Technology and education should go hand in hand.

On professional development goal I have for myself is to use a collaborative project with the school district in another state. I am currently working with a school in Brooklyn, NY with another classroom, however i would like to work with them myself.

A new Theory in the Information Technology Age!!!

2009-07-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

Just 2 weeks ago facebook hit the 250 million member mark, adding 50 million in the last 3 months. WOW, think about that, the United states population is 305 million. Now granted people from all over the world can have an account, however there is almost an account for every human living in the United States of America.

The idea of connectivism is the idea that people are connected their network and cyberspace and are available to each other to learn and to teach. Students, adults, really everyone has an ability to teach something to someone. Using Social Learning theories and connectivism students can truly connect with people across the world and talk and discuss anything they want. Connectivism and Social learning theories can have a huge impact on today's classroom. with the use of Blogs, wikis, viocethread and many more people can share ideas and opinions with anyone they want.

Microsoft Innovative Teachers Network - Museum

2009-07-26T13:10:00.000-07:00

Here is the link for the Museum powerpoint, using linear perspective.

"We know only what we do, what we make, what we construct!

2009-07-24T13:47:00.000-07:00

Learning is an active process. Student must do to understand, what it is they are supposed to understand. Constructionism is based on the idea that people learn from past experiences and their learning is based on creating something to build on that knowledge (Orey, 2008).

This weeks learning resources of testing a hypothesis is very important. Students get to do! Students can come up with an idea and test that idea. I think every teacher wants their students to be able to think outside the box. Allowing for students to create new ideas from prior and new knowledge can be every teachers dream. Allowing students to come up with an idea and be able to test that idea is something that has become easier with the use of technology. Technology is a great asset for the right teacher and student. Spreadsheets, powerpoint, online games and many more are wonderful ways to integrate technology easily in the classroom. I think more and more people are using technology for more and more in their classrooms everyday. I just have to go back to the idea that teachers must use the technology appropriately. Teachers need to think before allowing students to use the technology.

Over the past few weeks we have explored behaviorists, Cognitivists, and now Constructivists. We discuss the advantages of using each of these theories in the classroom, but is it not important to use all of the theories in conjunction with one another. It is important for students to behavior and to understand and even to do. We need to take all of these theories combine them into a “super” theory and continue learning and teaching everyday.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Constructivism and Constructionism Learning Theories. [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Orey.

To be or Not to be a Cognitivist.....

2009-07-15T13:41:00.000-07:00

Just as with Behaviorism, Congnitivism has a place in the classroom. But just as with Behaviorism, they are only part of a complex answer to learning in the classroom. Technology helps us with Cognition in the classroom. Technology brings teachers and students place never seen before. It is very easy for a teacher to use many of the pre loaded programs on a computer to allows for student learning. Excel, word and powerpoint just to name a few are wonderful tools to help students organize thoughts and ideas. In the past I have had students use powerpoints drawing program to create a concept map for early types of government. The students created an organizations systems for each of the Greek types of government.

When it comes to note taking in social studies i think it is very important for the students to know how to summarize and take notes. I feel however for the students to get a complete understanding if the content, they have to have a personalization of the information. After teaching students note taking skills using MS word, the students are then on their own with notebook checks. Every once and awhile we go back over note taking skills, just to make sure they know what i expect of them. The personalization of the notes is what i feel to be most important. When we come up to battles, the students write the information in red (blood), a take over of a country the students pick their own color (often students pick green, not sure why...) and so on. The students also have to draw a picture to represent the idea being presented. Not a picture for everything, but the major ideas. It gives them a personalization to the content for more remembrance of the material.

All of these ideas have worked for me... any other ideas for social studies?????

Mesopotamia Music Video

2009-07-15T13:08:00.000-07:00

Behaviorism in the Classroom

2009-07-12T09:40:00.003-07:00

Behaviorism is an attitude. Behaviorism by definition is a theory of animal and human learning that only focuses on objectively observable behaviors and discounts mental activities. Behavior theorists define learning as nothing more than the re acquisition of new or changed behavior.
In this weeks reading, from Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that works, we were to read over "Reinforcing Effort" and "Homework and Practice." Really when you think of homework and practice how does that really fit into the behaviorist theory? Like i stated earlier behavior does not deal with mental activities but more behavior. There are so many websites out there for students use to allow for students to receive immediate feedback for practice. A plus math for example allows students to do math problems online and in turn gives them immediate feedback. A students will be more receptive to learning new skills if they receive positive immediate feedback. So in a way students can learn though the use of behaviorist theories.
Students classroom behavior can also be affected using the Behaviorists theories. Student can, as Bart Simpson does turn a classroom upside down, we can use the ideas of many of the Behavior theorists to change the unwanted behavior.
B.F. Skinner states there are 5 principal remedies to fix the obstacles of learning:

Give the learner immediate feedback.
Break down the task into small steps.
Repeat the directions as many times as possible.
Work from the most simple to the most complex tasks.
Give positive reinforcement.

By using his ideas teacher can fix problems within their students. Many students are afraid to fail. By following Skinners principals we can allow students to change. They will become more confident, if we can allow for them to feel successful.

You can see in the video below that the bird, cannot read, but has learned a new behavior when it is rewarded. Students can do the same with a positive reward. When we want students to be successful, and they do something the "right" way, we should in turn give them a reward. They will continue to be successful when they receive the reward and will also be successful when the reward is not always given. They will learn new behavior and this will cause the student to be successful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AepqpTtKbwo

Reflection

2009-04-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

You know, I think as everyone who is confident with technology thinks that they take a class and they will not learn anything, they know everything and this stupid class can not teach me. Well I at times feel the same way. I have an extensive background in technology and I am my school technology coordinator, so what can this class teach me? It is very difficult for me to find something that I have not used before either personally or professionally.

This class has helped me see things much clearer when it comes to using different types of technology in the classroom. Students want to learn, deep down even if they do not act like it. Allowing students to use technology in the classroom, I think will lead to better test and achievement grades in the classroom. It will also, bring students who may not have the technology at home to learn needed 21st century skills.

Looking to the future, I really would like to use blogs more in my classroom. I have been in the process of setting up a blog for daily use in my classroom. I plan to post a question have the students respond on a Monday and then have them post back to other students on a the next Friday. I think this will bring a different dimension to the classroom and give students another media source to use to bring learning to life.
I also am in talks with our district tech people to post a folder on the server, so that I can host a folder on their for the students to drop off "online" homework assignments, and to put extra link to different technologies, which my students will use. Recently, my students have been working on a music video for World History rap songs. They have loved it, however we have to copy lyrics for them to use and by use of a flash drive give them each a copy of the song. It would be very easy to have a folder, with the songs and lyrics in it and they can get a copy from there.

Over all i have enjoyed myself in this class. Many of my classmates have been great and very helpful. I would like as the technology coordinator to hold more professional development courses to help teacher use technology to better help the students. I would also like to thank everyone for their help during this class, and to than Professor Jarrett for his help also... Best of luck to everyone!!!

Digital Native or Immigrants?

2009-04-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

We were asked to put together a podcast of how or students use technology and to decide if our students are Digital Natives (grew up and know how to use technology) or Digital Immigrants (excited about technology but not acustomed to using it). So we were asked to put together a podcast with the results. Click on results to see the overall results of my students.I was searching for information and remembered the new Microsoft commercials about "I'm a PC" so you can see below that students and children did grow up with technology and many of our students are Digital Natives.

Below is a Video that the two students that I interviewed put together with thier answers and the survey.

Below is a Video of the questions and my analysis of the questions and the results.

I found that most of my students are Digital Natives. There a few that may be Digital Immigrants bt overall they are all Digital Natives.

21st Century Skill in the classroom???

2009-03-25T18:38:00.000-07:00

“The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has emerged as the leading advocacy organization focused on infusing 21st century skills into education. The organization brings together the business community, education leaders, and policymakers to define a powerful vision for 21st century education to ensure every child's success as citizens and workers in the 21st century. The Partnership encourages schools, districts and states to advocate for the infusion of 21st century skills into education and provides tools and resources to help facilitate and drive change.”
—Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Students of today's world are surrounded by technology. They all have cell phones, X-box 360, the Wii, Playstation, computers, laptop, HD TV's, GPS devices, and much more that generations of the past did not have. I grew up in the 80's and 90's and really do not every remember a classroom without a computer, at least 1. The Partnership for 21st Century technology is a great way to let teachers know of initiatives for the coming world. I agree with the website saying that we need to move beyond the focus of the basic competency of our core subjects and promote and understanding of the world around them and weave these 21st Century Skills into our classrooms. We need to give our students a world wide view. I asked my students at the end of the year what the ocean was that bordered South Carolina, many of them told me it is the Myrtle Beach Ocean. Many of my students have never ever been more than an hour or 2 from their hometown. Teaching history with such a basic view of the world is very hard. But using technology is an easy way to bring the world of the past to life.
We also seem to have a generation of students who cannot think for themselves. They have been told what to think and we need to allow them to be creative and become problem solvers, and to think critically. This is just another part of the 21st Century Skills they are trying to get across to teachers and districts alike.
Here is an example from the website show how 21st Century skills can be used in Social Studies: Geo Literacy Project

The website is great!! I just wish that more school would join with the 10 states that have already signed up. 21st Century skills are needed by all students to be a success in the future world!!!

Blogging in the Classroom

2009-03-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

Blogging to some is a fine art. It is somthing that can be done very weel and very poorly. In my classroom I would really like to use blogging as a tool for content and to show off student work. I would first off like to take my students to the computer lab every Monday. I would like to post a question and have every student respond and answer the question. Then on the Friday of the same week, have the students respond to the comments someone else wrote. I would alos like to use blogs to show off student work. This is think would be great for students to see their work some where else than the hallway or the classroom. Many students when I first told them abou the blog were excited about it. And I really wish I would have gotten it off the ground early in the year.

WEB 2.0 Tools for the classroom

2009-03-04T16:34:00.000-08:00

Jottit
Picnik
Quizlet
Webposter
Audacity
VoiceThread
Newspaper Clip Generator
Animoto

Welcome!!!!

2009-03-02T11:26:00.000-08:00

What's Up Yall!!!!

My name is Rob and I am a 6th Grade Social Studies Teacher in Greenwood, SC. This is my second year teaching in South Carolina. Previously, I taught special education in Wisconsin for one year and worked Security in middle school for 5 year before that.I also am currently my schools webmaster and School technology leader, where i train teacher on the use of technology in the classroom. This past summer I presented a course of using, blogs, wikis, podcasts and cool interactive games in the classroom. I received my MSCE (Microsoft Systems Certified Engineering), CIW (Certified Internet Webmaster) and A +/Network+, about 7 years ago from MIcrosoft.I have used a blog in my classrooms in the past and would like to expand on this. I currently use podcasting for testing for my special ed and ESOL Students.