I have used Microsoft Word probably since the 5th grade onward. I've used it for reports, science fair projects, short stories, and even as spell check in the olden days before I used Google. I have sometimes used it as a file converter as well, uploading files to Word as a .pdf and saving it as a .docx. A lot of teachers will use it to type up assignment descriptions or even to make the syllabus. Teachers may also utilize Word's many capabilities to make lesson plans or to make tests and quizzes.
Copyright and fair use have always scared me in the educational environment, probably because previously I knew very little about them. You can get in a lot of trouble for using the wrong photo, or not citing something you use, so that was definitely intimidating. Now that I know more about the rules, they aren't nearly as intimidating! As a teacher, I would try not to scare my students too much. I would communicate to them that as long as you follow the rules, there will be no issues and you can use the materials that you need to complete assignments. For my own instructional use I will try to use photos that have no copyright, or at the end of any powerpoint I make I will cite my sources, so that my students can follow by example.
One issue I might face would be cyber bullying through platforms like Edmodo or blogs. A way to solve this would be to make it clear from the beginning that any online bullying will have the same consequences as bullying in real life and that online privileges can be taken away if any platform is misused.
Another issue would be keeping children safe online. If they do post anything publicly, pseudonyms should be used to maintain the students' safety. Preferably, students would use platforms that do not post things publicly, but instead post things within the classroom's own private group. It should also be communicated to the students that they should not be sharing personal information such as their address or phone numbers online.
I could also face a problem with students using class computers to send explicit or sexual images or messages to one another. To combat this a teacher should communicate the possible dangers of this, especially if these images or messages go public. It is illegal even for children to view these images and that should be communicated to the students. It must be explicitly clear that these rules are in place to create a safer online environment for not only the individual students, but for the classroom as a whole.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Blog Post #1
Teachers have an obligation to arm their students with the tools to flourish in both their future academic career and eventually the work force. In our modern society, technological literacy is a necessity to accomplish this, so teachers are influenced by this need to use technology in their classroom. Teaching students how to use technology also aligns with many standards that many teachers must satisfy such as Common Core. Technology also helps teachers to present information in different ways that can benefit different types of learners. PowerPoints with lots of graphs and diagrams may help visual learners more, while computer programs can help students who are kinesthetic learners who need to actively perform tasks in order to retain information. Even podcasts can be played in the classroom for students who are more auditory learners. The students are generally influenced to use technology by their teachers in the classroom setting to satisfy their specific educational needs.
The ISTE Standards are a set of standards written by the International Society for Technology in Education outlining what specific skills are necessary to effectively implement technology into the classroom. They are written in a way that not only helps students to learn more effectively, but helps teachers to teach more effectively. These standards help prepare students for their future in a workforce where most jobs require basic computer skills. I like the standard that says that a teacher's use of technology should "facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity." I feel like in my academic career, post elementary school, students were encouraged less and less to be creative and instead we were given strict guidelines to follow for all assignments. Technology is an incredibly useful thing and if can be used to keep students creative then I think it should definitely be utilized. I do not think that the skill of "demonstrating fluency in technology systems..." is something I currently posses. I'm sure that by the end of this class however, I will be better prepared for any challenge the digital world may throw at me.
I would agree with the phrase "digital native" to describe today's youth. They have been raised in a society where nearly everything is dependent on technology. An age before computers is hard to image not only for them, but for some who had to become accustomed to the overwhelming presence of technology in their lives. I've found that most people that would be considered digital natives have an ability to solve problems more naturally with technology. They have more an instinct to fix computer problems and have to look things up less. Digital "immigrants" such as my father and people around his age have less patience with technology. They tend to give up more easily rather that clicking around trying to solve their problem, and they usually look it up. This difference has not really had any effect on my learning experience, since often teachers will get the students to fix their technology problems if they can't fix it within a minute or so themselves. As technology advances and I become more out of touch with new technology, I'm sure that I will react similarly to current "digital immigrants" by asking the internet and others to help to fix my technology problems.
The ISTE Standards are a set of standards written by the International Society for Technology in Education outlining what specific skills are necessary to effectively implement technology into the classroom. They are written in a way that not only helps students to learn more effectively, but helps teachers to teach more effectively. These standards help prepare students for their future in a workforce where most jobs require basic computer skills. I like the standard that says that a teacher's use of technology should "facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity." I feel like in my academic career, post elementary school, students were encouraged less and less to be creative and instead we were given strict guidelines to follow for all assignments. Technology is an incredibly useful thing and if can be used to keep students creative then I think it should definitely be utilized. I do not think that the skill of "demonstrating fluency in technology systems..." is something I currently posses. I'm sure that by the end of this class however, I will be better prepared for any challenge the digital world may throw at me.
I would agree with the phrase "digital native" to describe today's youth. They have been raised in a society where nearly everything is dependent on technology. An age before computers is hard to image not only for them, but for some who had to become accustomed to the overwhelming presence of technology in their lives. I've found that most people that would be considered digital natives have an ability to solve problems more naturally with technology. They have more an instinct to fix computer problems and have to look things up less. Digital "immigrants" such as my father and people around his age have less patience with technology. They tend to give up more easily rather that clicking around trying to solve their problem, and they usually look it up. This difference has not really had any effect on my learning experience, since often teachers will get the students to fix their technology problems if they can't fix it within a minute or so themselves. As technology advances and I become more out of touch with new technology, I'm sure that I will react similarly to current "digital immigrants" by asking the internet and others to help to fix my technology problems.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Blog Post #0
Blog Post #0
Most of my experience with technology has come through school. I have not done much outside of using word documents and powerpoints. I only started using Excel in college and I'm still not very good at using it effectively. Last semester I had to use an online learning system for my Pre-Calculus class called MyMathLab and learning all of the ins and outs of that system was definitely challenging. I'm ready to be learn more because, as of now, my knowledge of technology is pretty limited.
In this class I hope I become more experienced with computers and certain programs and I hope to learn how to use them efficiently. I want to be confident with my knowledge of computers and so far I am not. I also hope that I can learn in this class how to use certain technologies so that I can teach better and know how to use different types of technology that can benefit all types of learners. These are skills that I will genuinely use in life and in my future career so I am definitely excited to take this class.
Sadly, the results of the learning styles quiz for me were not very telling. I was in the middle of nearly every single category. The only one where I showed some sort of disposition was on the Sensing/Intuitive scale. I leaned more toward the sensing side. I agree that I'm in the middle of nearly every category because really I do not think that there is any one way that I learn better. I just sort use all different types of learning whether it be visual, verbal, or anything else, and combine them all to absorb information.
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