Digital Badge: Chapter 7

After reading chapter seven of Transforming Learning with New Technologies. The most important concepts I found  interesting were: 

Evaluation Criteria

As  college students and future teachers, it's important to considerate what websites we will use for our classroom projects and what websites we will share with  my future students. As teacher and future teachers we need to evaluate  a website before  sharing its information with our students. We need to know what the software will  offer to our students and if it's going to help them in their education. Although evaluating a website  can be  difficult at times, it's important to know and understand the kind of websites and  programs our students are using. However, there is  an iPad educational technology magazine that offers evaluation rubrics, which I strongly believe teachers should take advantage of. If teachers  are having a hard time in evaluating the website  the  app  will help them!

Google Earth

In 2005, Google Earth was available to download in your computer. Google Earth is a virtual globe, map, and geographical information program. It's composed of photographs taken by satellites and aircraft of virtually every location in the world . When I was in eighth grade, I remember downloading the Google Earth application. Google Earth took me into a journey where I started from my home to my community and even to my birth town (which at that time it had been five years since I last saw it). Google Earth should be incorporated in every grade level. Google Earth provides the students  with  an opportunity to learn new locations, different cultures, and  human interactions. There many students who do not have the opportunity or privilege in traveling around the world. By using Google Earth, those who cannot travel  at least have a virtual tour of the place they wanted to visit.I have attached a YouTube video that well educate you  on how to use Google Earth!

Computer Games As Learning Resources

Student are becoming more involve in today's technology. One of the most important software applications among children and adolescents are computer games. Computer games where the students answers questions or learn by clicking their mouse. There are some computer games that are more highly interactive multimedia experience making the students interact with the computer in many diverse ways. There are many educational computer games such as knowledge, logical, and mathematical games that are beneficial to include in the classroom lesson. By adding computer games to the class lesson the student participates, interacts, and keep their brains active. Computer games help students learn how to solve different social scenarios, it helps them overcome different conflicts that they're facing in today's society and it helps them develop social experiences that can be valuable as they are grown-up.    

Photo credit to Jonathan Reyes on Flickr

Resources:

Castellini, R. (2013, February 12). How to use Google Earth for Beginners. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgjMSBXsFZQ

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Digital Badge D- Chapter 5

After reading chapter five of Transforming Learning with New Technologies. The most important concepts I found  interesting were: 

E-Books And E-Readers

The benefits of technology in the classroom are broad and deep. In 2008, the number of 17 year olds who read books for fun every day decline 33 percent in 1984 to about 20 percent in 2004. Meanwhile, the 17 year olds who say they never read books increase from 9 percent to 19 percent of students during the same period. You may be asking yourselves why is this? Every day more and more teachers are involving technology into their classroom. A few months ago, I had the opportunity to observe two eighth grade classrooms. In the first classroom the teacher didn't integrate technology. She asked her students  to read their hard cover book/s. Ten minutes later, some students were using the book as a fan. However, in the second eighth grade class the teacher integrated technology ,they use their e-books. The students were focus and  more engaged in their reading material.

Electronic Note-Taking

Nowadays, when we enter into a classroom  we see some students with their electric devices (such as computers, iPad, ect.) or a pen with paper taking notes. I am the type of person who takes notes using a pen and paper. However there some benefits in electronic note-taking. Electronic note taking is a new way to use technology to guarantee all information is saved, readily accessible , it improves the students learning and helps organize their thoughts.  In the electronic note taking section, it provides it readers with a  useful websites- NoteStar. Notestar is a great website for both the students and teachers. This website keeps the notes you take and save them without you having to worrying. Like Notestar ,OneNote is an application for Mac and  PC computers that provide an electric binder that lets you store all  types of information and organize it as would you wish to! 

Stand Up Against Cyber bullying

Cyber bullying is bullying that occurs through electronic technology. Electronic device such as cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyber bullying can occur just about anywhere at any time.  As teachers and future teachers, we need to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages with technology. There many advantages with technology such as allowing you to communicate and staying in connected with family member and friends, ect. Meanwhile, there disadvantages such as cyber bullying. When it comes to cyber bullying as teachers we need to build strategies to make sure our students feel safe and  protected in school. One of the many strategies is to  have an  older student mentoring the younger student  in  knowing  how to counteract bullying. By creating this strategy it helps both age groups to care ,value and respect each other. Younger students tend to pay more attention  to the older students, I believe this is because they feel they can relate.

Resources:

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Stand Up to Cyberbullying. (2010, October 8). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN2fuKPDzHA

Chapter 3: Digital Badge C

Chapter 3: Digital Badge C

In chapter three, I learned their different approaches and methods when  teaching, engaging and work together with your students. There were many important concepts throughout the chapter. However, the three main concept I found more interesting were:

Teacher- Centered and Student- Centered Approaches

Both the teacher-centered approaches and the student centered approaches have great aspects to them, but one is clearly better than the other. The teacher-centered approach expects students to learn from their class notes, their textbooks, worksheets, quizzes and tests. I find this approach irrational because every student learns differently and at their own pace. Furthermore, this “one size fits all” approach is only going to cause confusion and prevent students from taking advantage of the resources that are available outside the classroom. However, the student centered approach is much more beneficial. This approach allows students to take a more “hands on” approach, in which students encouraged to think outside the box. In other words, teachers are not telling students to memorize fact after fact, instead students are being challenged to think critically, participate with any class discussions and learn from their own personal experiences.The image below elaborates more in this approaches and their benefits.

 Instructional Methods to Engage Students

There are four instructional methods to engage students while teaching. The first method is one- to-one tutoring. Teachers need one-on-one time with their students to know how much they have learned and where they are struggling in class. The second method is learning groups, through this method the students get together in groups and interact with each other. The third method is inquiry learning in which students are asked to work actively in a project and investigate related questions in a subject field. The last method is metacognitive thinking, through this method the student examines their own learning methods through self-explanation and self-evaluation. By incorporating all four of these methods into our classroom we are giving our students the opportunity to learn more and discover hidden abilities. As future teachers, we need to be conscious of what methods work for each of our students.

Group Work and Collaboration

Its important for students to develop their own persona, but its also important for the students to learn how to interact and adapt to the personality of the classmates their working with. When you put students into groups as a teacher you can see the role of each student takes, the strengths and weaknesses of each student and slowly but surely students who were once shy and timid develop the confidence to take charge of a group. This leadership is crucial because when every students finds a job they have to be able to work alongside others in a way that is not only pleasant but in a way that an ultimately allow students to climb to the top.

Reaources:

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Teacher versus Learner-Centered Instruction. (2012, January 1). Retrieved from http://silkweb.com/sst/The University Experience/screen2.html

Chapter 2: Digital Badge #B

http://www.powtoon.com/show/bHKul6r1Pnn/teacher-intro/#/

After reading chapter two of Transforming Learning with New Technologies. The most important concepts I found  interesting were: 

Career That Matters

A teacher is not just a person who teaches but is someone who the school administrators, the students, the parents and society look up to. As future teachers we are expected to give the gift of knowledge to others. Many people think the role of a teacher is just to teach students new skills. However, the role goes much further, a teacher becomes a adviser,motivator, and coach to his or her students. As teachers we need to be able to present students with diverse learning experiences. We need to have the ability to teach and reach all students even those with learning disabilities, and those who are in small or large group settings. Every student learns differently and at his or her own pace. As teachers we are accountable to assure our students success and not allow them to fall behind in class. There many careers that touch and change the lives of people of all ages but I believe an educator is the most powerful one. As teachers, we shape a person's life at a very young age to the point that the person starts forming his or her own values and morals by what their being taught and learning in the class and at home.

 Technology Choices and Student Engagement Back

In the past teachers stood in the front of their class and lectured while students took notes. Nowadays, the teachers and students are engaged with technology. Technology in the classroom helps the students to be prepare for their future careers, which in today's society will likely be embracing in the section of creating or working with new technologies. Integrating technology into the classroom is definitely a great method to reach diverse learning styles and it gives the students the chance to interact with one another. All teachers should include a technology activity in their lesson plans. One of the best ways a student can learn the class lessons is by interacting with his or her classmates or doing an online activity where the class lesson is writing blogs. I have attached a video to demonstrate why it important to include technology in class.

Barriers To Technology Use

There are many barriers to technology use. The lack of access is one of them. The lower the grades the less computers there are in the classroom , the higher the grades the more computers will be found in the classroom. Lack of time is another barrier to using technology, teachers prefer teaching their students through their classroom book instead of using technology. Teachers do not want to lose their class time by waiting for the computer to download or wait for all the students to log in and be in the same website. Another barrier of technology is not fitting technology in the teachers teaching style. Most teachers do not even want to include technology in their lesson plan. They believe that technology should be taught by their computer lab teacher. Nowadays, technology plays a big role in the classroom. Technology allows the student to stay engaged. Today’s students are devoted to technology so they are sure to be interested in learning if they can use the tools they care for.

In conclusion,chapter two had many positive reasons why technology should be integrated in class and the class lesson plans.It also has many effective methods how technology can improve the students learning skills.

Resources:

Herbs, A. (2014, January 19). The News Basics: Classroom Technology. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbnsrAiTluE

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.